what we know about the gigantic landslide that wiped out an entire village

According to emergency services, more than 2,000 people may have been buried. A new landslide is feared.

Residents were surprised in their sleep. Lhe collapse of a mountain section in Papua New Guinea could have buried more than 2,000 people alive on the night of Thursday May 23 to Friday May 24. Authorities have begun the evacuation of around 7,900 people threatened by a possible new landslide in the country’s central highlands. Here is what we know about the situation.

A section of Mount Mugalo collapsed in the middle of the night

It was 3 a.m. Friday (local time) when a section of the Mount Mungalo, covered in dense forest, collapsed in Enga province, in the center of the Papua New Guinea archipelago. Residents of the village of Yambali, just below, were surprised in their sleep. According to rescue services, more than 2,000 people may have been buried, but so far rescuers have found only five bodies, as well as the leg of a sixth.

According to local residents, this landslide could have been caused by recent heavy rains. Papua New Guinea has one of the wettest climates in the world. Research has shown that changes in rainfall patterns linked to climate change could increase the risk of landslides.

The population of the buried village is difficult to estimate

The number of inhabitants present in the village at the time of the landslide is particularly difficult to estimate, the electoral lists being obsolete and only listing people over 18 years old. Yambali served as a trading post in the region for miners searching for gold in the highlands. It thus sheltered a passing population which could reach more than 4,000 people.

Many people fleeing tribal violence have also settled in the region in recent years, as Nicholas Booth, an official with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), explained. “It was a very populated area, with homes and businesses and churches and schools, and it was completely wiped out. It’s the surface of the Moon. It’s just rocks.”described Sandis Tsaka, administrator of the province of Enga, with AFP.

Rescue operations are complicated

The inhabitants dig the ground using their hands to try to find the missing. He is “very unlikely” that rescuers find survivors given the severity of the landslide and the time that has passed since it occurred, said Niels Kraaier, Unicef ​​representative in Papua New Guinea. According to him, “this is not a rescue mission, but a recovery mission” some corpses.

The survivors are “traumatized”continued this UN official. “Entire families were buried under the debris. (…) Every resident of Enga province has a friend or family member who was killed, missing or affected by this tragedy “he said.

The army is currently trying to transport heavy construction equipment to the site. But the arrival of relief in this region, located around 600 km from the capital Port Moresby, is also complicated by a wave of tribal violence, unrelated to the disaster, along the only access road from Wabag, the provincial capital.

A new landslide could occur

Authorities in Papua New Guinea have begun the evacuation of around 7,900 people threatened by a possible new landslide. “Every hour you hear the rock breaking. It’s like a bomb or a gunshot and the rocks keep falling”, testifies Sandis Tsaka, administrator of the province of Enga. NOTHowever, many residents refuse to leave the disaster area in the hope of finding missing loved ones.

Aid agencies estimate that more than 1,000 people have already been displaced by the disaster. According to Nicholas Booth, up to 30,000 people are likely isolated after the main road was damaged by the landslide. The head of the United Nations Development Program stressed that these communities had enough food to survive for several weeks, but that the road absolutely needed to be rehabilitated.

International aid begins to be put in place

The disaster caused“significant destruction of buildings and food gardens and had a major impact on the country’s economy”stressed the Papua New Guinea National Disaster Management Center in a letter to the UN, calling on the international community for help.

The World Health Organization (WHO) offered assistance. “We are ready to help the government respond to urgent health needs”indicated the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on the social network “Our thoughts are with those who have tragically lost loved ones”he added.

As we start #WHA77our hearts go to the people in #PapuaNewGuinea who have tragically lost loved ones in the landslides. We stand ready to support the government to meet urgent health needs. https://t.co/m8FDYfS5jT

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 27, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping, for his part, declared “penalty” and also offered his country’s help. Neighboring Australia as well as the United States and France also offered assistance.