Local officials and aid agencies in Papua New Guinea have expressed concerns over a massive landslide that is feared to have resulted in multiple fatalities, hitting six remote villages.
The landslide engulfed over 100 homes when it occurred around 03:00 local time on Friday (17:00 GMT Thursday) in the highlands of Enga, situated north of the island nation in the south-west Pacific.
While the exact number of individuals trapped under the rubble remains unclear, there have been no official confirmations of casualties.
Enga governor Peter Ipatas described the event as an “unprecedented natural disaster,” according to AFP news agency.
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape announced that his government has dispatched disaster officials to the landslide site to initiate relief efforts, recover bodies, and undertake infrastructure reconstruction.
“I will release further information as I am fully briefed on the scale of destruction and loss of lives,” Mr Marape said in a statement.
Online images depict numerous individuals climbing onto fallen boulders to assess the aftermath of the landslide. The pictures reveal collapsed houses and uprooted trees, indicating extensive damage.
According to reports, rescuers are encountering difficulties in navigating through the debris.
A video shared by Facebook user Kindupan Kambii from Kaokalam village in Enga captures the sounds of people crying and yelling, illustrating the distressing situation.
“There are reports of deaths and multiple casualties, but the exact numbers haven’t been confirmed yet,” said a spokesman from Papua New Guinea’s Red Cross Society.
He mentioned that an emergency response team comprising representatives from the provincial governor’s office, police, defense forces, and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has been dispatched to the location.
CARE, an international humanitarian organization, informed the BBC that it is presently conducting a situation assessment regarding the incident.
Enga is situated over 600 kilometers away from the country’s capital, Port Moresby, by road.