MELBOURNE, Australia. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has updated its estimate of the death toll from the devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea to over 670 people. Emergency responders and grieving families have now lost hope of finding any survivors.
Serhan Aktoprak, head of the UN migration agency’s mission in Papua New Guinea, stated that the revised figures are based on new data from Yambali village and Enga provincial officials, who reported that over 150 homes were buried by the landslide on Friday. The initial estimate was 60 homes.
“They are estimating that more than 670 people are under the soil at the moment,” Aktoprak told The Associated Press.
Local authorities initially reported at least 100 fatalities on Friday. By Sunday, only five bodies and part of a sixth had been recovered, despite the arrival of an excavator donated by a local builder to aid the recovery efforts.
As rescue teams worked to relocate survivors to safer areas, they faced additional threats from unstable terrain and ongoing tribal warfare, common in the Papua New Guinea Highlands. About 250 more houses have been deemed unsafe, leaving approximately 1,250 people homeless.
The national government is considering whether to formally request additional international aid. Rescuers have abandoned the hope of finding anyone alive beneath 6 to 8 meters (20 to 26 feet) of earth and debris.
“People are coming to terms with this, so there is a serious level of grieving and mourning,” said Aktoprak. He emphasized that the new death toll estimate is “not solid” as it is based on average household sizes and cautioned against speculation.
Authorities are setting up evacuation centers on safer grounds around the massive debris field, which spans an area equivalent to three to four football fields and has obstructed the main highway through the province.
Supply convoys, escorted by Papua New Guinea soldiers, have been transporting essential goods to the affected village, 60 kilometers (35 miles) from the provincial capital, Wabag. These convoys have encountered risks due to tribal conflicts in the region.
In an unrelated clash, eight locals were killed, and around 30 homes and five businesses were destroyed in tribal violence on Saturday. Aktoprak expressed concerns about potential opportunistic crimes, such as carjacking or robbery, amidst the chaos.
Longstanding tribal warfare complicates the accuracy of population estimates in the affected village, as many people had recently moved there to escape clan violence. Authorities now acknowledge the village population was likely much higher than the 4,000 initially estimated.
Justine McMahon, country director of CARE International, highlighted the urgent need to relocate survivors to stable ground and provide essential supplies. The military is leading these efforts.
As of Sunday, the numbers of injured and missing were still being determined. Seven people, including a child, had received medical treatment, though their conditions were not detailed.
Papua New Guinea Defense Minister Billy Joseph and National Disaster Center director Laso Mana were scheduled to fly to Wabag to assess the situation firsthand.
Aktoprak expects the government to decide by Tuesday whether to request more international aid. The United States and Australia, a close neighbor and major aid provider, have already expressed their readiness to assist further.
Papua New Guinea, a diverse and developing nation with 800 languages and 10 million people, mostly subsistence farmers, now faces the monumental task of recovering from this disaster.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
