There are concerns that the number of people missing following a deadly landslide in Papua New Guinea could reach into the thousands, according to a government agency.
The acting director of the National Disaster Centre expressed in a letter that it is feared over 2,000 individuals were buried alive in Friday’s disaster.
However, an exact casualty count has been difficult to determine, with estimates varying widely. Rescue efforts have been hampered by rubble up to 10 meters (32 feet) deep in some areas and a lack of adequate equipment.
So far, fewer than a dozen bodies have been recovered, while the United Nations (UN) has estimated the number of missing at 670.
The landslide, which occurred early Friday morning, obliterated a bustling village in Enga province, with damage extending nearly a kilometer, according to observers.
Approximately 3,800 people had been living in the area before the disaster.
In the letter, Lusete Laso Mana described the damage as “extensive” and noted that it had “caused major impact on the economic lifeline of the country.”
Prime Minister James Marape has expressed his condolences and ordered the country’s defense force and emergency agencies to the area, about 600 km northwest of the capital, Port Moresby.
However, locals in the affected Kaokalam village say they are still waiting for officials to initiate larger rescue operations.
A community leader who visited the site told the BBC that locals feel abandoned and left to fend for themselves. They are using shovels and their bare hands in efforts to dig people out.
“It’s been almost three to four days now but [many] bodies are not located yet. It is still covered by the landslide and people are finding it really hard to dig them out – they are calling for the government for support and help,” Ignas Nembo told the BBC’s Newshour programme.
However, a police official from the province told the BBC he had seen soldiers arrive at the scene and they were attempting to remove boulders to try and free those trapped.
Acting Provincial Police Commander Martin Kelei described these efforts as precarious – as removing car-sized boulders and other large barriers risked further rock slips.
“Digging is very hard at the moment because we’re worried about further landslides and deaths – so local people are only digging from where they can see it is safe. We are trying to identify wherever we can see that people are buried,” he said.
Prime Minister James Marape has expressed his condolences and ordered the country’s defense force and emergency agencies to the area, about 600 km northwest of the capital, Port Moresby.
However, locals in the affected Kaokalam village say they are still waiting for officials to initiate larger rescue operations.
A community leader who visited the site told the BBC that locals feel abandoned and left to fend for themselves. They are using shovels and their bare hands in efforts to dig people out.
“The ground is also quite unstable at the moment and it is at risk of triggering further landslide,” said Justine McMahon, the country co-ordinator of Care Australia, one of the humanitarian aid agencies on the ground.
“We’ve decided to stay out for now to allow the authorities time to properly assess the situation to conduct the rescue and recovery operations.”
Earlier, a UN migration agency official described the challenges around the rescue to the BBC. Serhan Aktoprak from the International Organization for Migration highlighted several obstacles faced by recovery teams, including the reluctance of grieving relatives to allow heavy machinery near their loved ones.
Instead, he noted, “people are using digging sticks, spades, and large agricultural forks to recover bodies buried under the soil.”
Debris from the landslide includes large boulders, trees, and displaced soil.
Rescue efforts are further hampered by significant damage to the only road leading to the town, with approximately 200 meters (650 feet) of the road affected, according to Ms. McMahon.
The Mount Mungalo landslide occurred in the highlands of Enga, in the northern part of the island nation.
Local officials and reporters have attributed the mountain’s collapse to weeks of heavy rain and other wet conditions in the area.