Over 100 feared dead in Papua New Guinea landslide

More than 100 people were feared killed in a landslide that struck a remote village in Papua New Guinea in the wee hours of Friday, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News.

The landslide occurred in Kaokalam village in Enga Province, located about 600 kilometres northwest of Papua New Guinea’s capital of Port Moresby around 3 am (local time).

Locals said the current estimates of the death toll were more than 100, although authorities did not confirm the official figure yet. Locals added that there could be a greater number of people who died.

Videos surfaced on social media, showing people climbing huge rocks and pulling bodies from the rubble and beneath trees.

Elizabeth Laruma, the president of the Porgera Women in Business Association, said the houses were destroyed when one side of a nearby mountain gave way, according to the ABC News report.

“It occurred when people were still asleep in the early hours and the entire village went down. From what I can presume, it’s about 100-plus people who are buried beneath the ground,” Laruma said.

Ninga Role, who is from Kaokalam, and lost his four relatives due to the tragedy, said the landslide blocked a road to the town of Porgera, where a large gold mine is located.

“There are some huge stones, plants and trees. The buildings have collapsed. These things are making it hard to find the bodies fast. It is difficult to work,” Role was quoted as saying by ABC News.

Papua New Guinea government officials and the police did not immediately react to the landslide at the time of writing this story.