At least hundred people are feared dead following a devastating landslide that flattened numerous homes and buried families alive in a remote area of Papua New Guinea.
Rescue operations are currently underway in the village of Kaokalam, located approximately 370 miles (600km) northwest of Port Moresby, the capital of the South Pacific island nation.
The disaster struck around 3 am local time on Friday while people were asleep.
At least 100 people are reported dead, but villagers estimate the death toll could be nearly 300. Authorities have yet to provide an official estimate.
Footage shared on social media shows locals rescuing people from beneath the debris.
Kaokalam resident Ninga Role, who was not present when the landslide occurred, reported that his brother and cousin were among the casualties.
He said, “It’s very impossible, the area covered by the landslide is large and there are rocks and trees everywhere.
“It’s very difficult to get them out.”
Elizabeth Laruma, who leads a women’s business association in Porgera, a town in the same Enga province, described the destruction caused by the landslide.
Ms. Laruma said, “It has occurred when people were still asleep in the early hours, and the entire village has gone down.
“From what I can presume, it’s about 100-plus people who are buried beneath the ground.”
It was learnt that authorities had not made an official statement more than 12 hours after the landslide.
She mentioned that with the main road closed, the only way to access the village in the mountainous Highlands region is by helicopter.
Papua New Guinea, a developing nation with a largely subsistence farming population, is home to 800 languages. Approximately 85% of its 10 million residents live in rural areas.
The country has limited road infrastructure outside major cities and poor telecommunications.
