Thousands of people in northern Papua New Guinea are in need of shelter and assistance after a landslide swept through their villages, burying residents and homes underneath. Hopes of finding survivors in the Pacific island nation have faded as unstable terrain and a collapsed bridge have hampered the search, The Washington Post reports.
Nearly 7,900 people, many under the age of 16, have been affected, the United Nations said on Tuesday, including residents near the disaster zone who may have to evacuate and those in need of food, clothing and medicine.
While the search operation faces challenges, UN officials have urged caution in estimating the number of casualties – even though the death toll is expected to be high – as only six bodies have been recovered so far. The UN migration agency’s mission in the country, north of Australia, initially estimated the death toll at 670.
Death toll is rising
The UN said in a statement Tuesday that “the death toll is expected to rise as the search continues.”
The UN Development Program’s resident representative, Nicholas Booth, said in an email:
Neither the UN nor government authorities have yet been able to verify numbers of casualties, although we are continuing to work with government on this. We always hold out hope of finding survivors, but with each passing day the probability of that is becoming smaller, and we cannot be optimistic at this stage.
Although some areas were evacuated, few people had done so elsewhere “because most of those affected are still anxious to learn the fate of their missing loved ones who remain trapped under the debris,” Booth also added.
The UN children’s agency UNICEF said a landslide in Enga province has left thousands homeless and damaged roads have restricted access for relief operations.
Footage from the disaster site showed people digging through the rubble with shovels and others wailing for victims. Earlier, local authorities have sought international assistance, including sending geotechnical engineers to assess the existing hazards, the UN said in a statement.
