Published:
27 May 2024 13:36 GMT
More than 150 homes were buried by an accumulation of earth almost two stories high.
More than 2,000 people could have remained buried alive due to a huge landslide that occurred in the center of Papua New Guinea, the authorities of the oceanic country reported this Monday. They also noted that the difficulties in transporting aid to the site of the disaster reduce hopes of finding survivors.
The landslide occurred in the early hours of Friday and devastated six villages in the Maip-Mulitaka district while most of their inhabitants were sleeping. Due, more than 150 houses They were buried under a accumulation of earth almost two stories highinforms Reuters.
“I have 18 members of my family buried under the rubble and the ground I am on,” said local resident Evit Kambu. “But I can’t get the bodies back, so I’m here, helpless,” he added.
The rescuers stated having heard screams from beneath the earth. The villagers help in the rescue efforts with shovels, sticks and their own hands to try to reach the victims. So far only six bodies have been recovered.
Help on the way
This Monday Australia announced an initial aid package of 2.5 million Australian dollars (1.66 million US dollars) and promised to send technical experts to the disaster zone to assist local rescuers.
Also China He promised to send assistance within his capabilities both in search and rescue operations and in reconstruction tasks.
The danger still remains
Serhan Aktoprak, head of the UN migration agency’s mission in Papua New Guinea, warned that rain, unstable soil and water currents could make removing dirt and debris a chore.extremely dangerous“.
At the moment, More than 1,250 people have already been evacuated from the disaster area. Aktoprak added that rescuers have given up hope of finding survivors under the earth and rubble, 6 to 8 meters deep. “People are coming to terms with it, so there is a high level of grief and mourning,” he said.
“At this point, I think people are realizing that The chances of anyone making it out alive are very slim.“, he stated.
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