People come together at the spot where a landslide happened in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea.
Last week, a huge landslide happened in Papua New Guinea’s mountainous Enga region. The National Disaster Centre of the country fears that around 2,000 people might be trapped under the debris. Rescue teams are trying hard to find anyone who might still be alive in this remote area.
Initially, it was thought that about 100 people might have died in the landslide. But later, the estimates went up to 670, according to the Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the country.
The latest update from Papua New Guinea’s disaster agency suggests that the initial estimate of casualties may be much lower than the reality.
According to Lusete Laso Mana, the Acting Director of the National Disaster Centre, over 2,000 people are believed to be buried alive by the landslide. The disaster has caused significant damage to buildings, farms, and the country’s economy.
The situation remains dangerous as the landslide is still moving slowly, posing a threat to both rescue teams and survivors. The main highway to the area is completely blocked by debris.
Following an assessment by experts, it was found that the damage is extensive and requires immediate action from everyone involved.
The landslide struck the remote village of Kaokalam early Friday morning, leaving behind a large area of destruction. Over 150 houses in Yambali village were buried under debris. The area continues to be very risky, with falling rocks and unstable soil.
Papua New Guinea, with about 10 million people, has lots of mountains and few roads, making it hard to reach the affected area.
Pierre Rognon, who works at the University of Sydney, says it’s really hard for rescuers to find people alive after a landslide. Landslides can cover buildings and people under a lot of earth and rocks, sometimes several meters deep.
“It’s even harder because landslides can move buildings and people over long distances, making it tricky to know where to search for survivors,” says Pierre Rognon.
The cause of the landslide isn’t clear, but Alan Collins from the University of Adelaide says the region gets a lot of rain.
“Even though the landslide wasn’t triggered by an earthquake, the area’s steep slopes and tall mountains, formed by frequent earthquakes, can become very unstable,” Collins explains.
Rainfall may have changed the minerals in the bedrock, weakening the steep hillsides.
“Plants help by stabilizing the ground with their roots, so cutting down trees can make landslides more likely by removing this natural support,” he adds.