Landslide in Papua New Guinea: IOM warns of epidemic risk

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Thursday that survivors of a deadly landslide that destroyed an entire village in Papua New Guinea last week face a “significant risk of epidemic”. “Hands running (through) the trash are contaminated,” the organization said, including a warning about malaria.

Six days after the tragedy that buried a community in Enga province, in the center of the country, the death toll remains uncertain. The government says about 2,000 people were buried, but satellite images, disaster experts and local officials suggest the death toll is much lower.

After the landslide, residents of two affected areas – Yambeli and Lapak – began digging in the ground, trying to find the missing. Eyewitnesses reported that the smell emanating from the corpses became unbearable. Local authorities said between six and 11 bodies were found.

Humanitarian assistance as a top priority

IOM has made delivering drinking water, cleansing tablets and essential food supplies to the site a top priority. “The lack of accurate information about affected areas and populations is hampering effective planning and delivery of humanitarian assistance,” the organization warned.

The number of deaths is likely to be in the “hundreds” rather than the thousands, said Sandis Tsaki, the Enga provincial administrator interviewed by AFP. Traumatized survivors have been unable to provide reliable information about their loved ones who are still missing, he said.

The number of residents present in the village at the time the Mount Mugalo section hit it is particularly difficult to estimate because voter lists are out of date and only include people over 18 years of age. UNICEF’s representative in Papua New Guinea said on Tuesday it was “very unlikely” that rescue teams would find survivors.