On Tuesday, May 28th, the government of Papua New Guinea ordered thousands of residents to evacuate in response to an active landslide that has already resulted in catastrophic loss of life. The landslide, which struck the mountainous interior of the South Pacific island nation on May 24th, buried more than 2,000 people alive in Yambali village, Enga province, according to government officials.
The official death toll of the landslide remains uncertain, with the United Nations initially estimating 670 fatalities. However, the National Disaster Center’s acting director, Luseta Laso Mana, communicated to the UN that the actual number could be significantly higher, citing “major destruction” caused by the disaster.
The landslide buried a 200-meter stretch of the province’s main highway under debris up to 26 feet deep, hampering rescue and relief efforts. Villagers have been digging with shovels and farming tools to find bodies, but the shifting ground poses ongoing risks to both rescue teams and survivors.
International organizations have stepped in to assist with the landslide relief efforts. The International Organization for Migration is working closely with the Papua New Guinea government, although they have not revised their death toll estimate pending new evidence. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres extended condolences and stated that the UN stands ready to offer additional assistance.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has promised to release more information about the disaster’s scale as it becomes available. The government has formally requested international aid, highlighting the need for resources to manage the aftermath and assist the displaced population as over 150 homes in the affected village were buried in debris after the landslide.
The disaster’s impact extends beyond the immediate loss of life. The landslide’s economic ramifications are expected to be significant, given the obstruction of the main highway, a critical route for transport and logistics. The government has dispatched military and earth-moving equipment to the area to aid in the ongoing rescue operations and infrastructure repair.
The affected region’s challenging conditions, including remote locations, lack of telecommunications, and tribal conflicts, further complicate relief efforts. The national government’s lack of reliable census data exacerbates the difficulty in determining the number of affected individuals.
