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An agency United Nations estimated this Sunday that more than 670 people died in the landslide that buried a remote village north of Papua New Guineaalthough so far only five bodies have been recovered.
The person responsible for International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Papua New Guinea, Serhan Aktopraktold Australian state television ABC that, according to new estimates, more than 150 homes were buried by a layer of rocks and earth between six and eight meters deep and they fear that more than 670 people have lost their lives.
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However, the United Nations delegation in Papua New Guinea He clarified this Sunday to EFE via email that the number of deaths confirmed so far by the emergency response team is five, those whose bodies were recovered in the village of Kaokalam600 kilometers from the country’s capital, Port Moresby.
“The team has informed us that it is difficult to confirm the actual number (of deaths) as search and rescue efforts continue.” he claimed Kesang Phuntshohead of the United Nations office in Papua New Guinea.
In addition to the five bodies recovered, the delegation from UN indicated in a report this Sunday that there is an undetermined number of injuries, “including 20 women and children”.
The official UN statement is also more cautious regarding the number of houses buried by the avalanche, which is currently around between 50 and 60, as well as a school, a church, orchards and vehicles.
The United Nations report indicates that the disaster area remains dangerous due to the risk of new avalanches, so they are working to evacuate the survivors, around 1,250, according to Aktoprak.
“My companions had to flee the scene due to the increasing danger, as the rocks continue to fall without stopping and the earth continues to slide.”, stated the head of the IOM in the country, who added that this, combined with the large amount of land that has already fallen, is putting pressure on houses in the area, making evacuation necessary.
Around 4,000 people officially live in the area where the avalanche occurred, although authorities estimate that the number of people affected is greater, since the city where it occurred is a place where residents fleeing conflicts and tribal clashes in the villages take refuge. nearby.
Much of the village of Kaokalam was buried under a six to eight meter layer of rocks and boulders and the avalanche affected an area of more than 200 square kilometers, including about 150 kilometers of the province’s main highway, complicating recovery efforts. rescue and help survivors.
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Furthermore, other access sections to the village are blocked by previous landslides, meaning access is only possible by helicopter or all-terrain vehicle.
Images of the disaster site shared on social media show a vast area of rocks and earth ripped from a hill, as well as neighbors collecting their belongings and exploring the area buried by the landslide in search of survivors.
The affected area often suffers from intense rains and floods, and landslides are not uncommon in the country, where, despite the wealth of natural resources, a large part of its more than nine million inhabitants live in extreme poverty and are isolated due to a lack of communications and infrastructure, especially in remote locations like the current disaster.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
