In media interviews, Mr Aktoprak said communities in Yambali village, located in the foothills of remote Enga province, were buried under six to eight meters of dirt.
A senior UN official said 150 homes were believed to have been buried. That’s about 90 more homes than previously reported. About 670 people are believed to be buried underground and “the chances of them being alive are decreasing.”
IOM has six aid workers on the ground, along with personnel from other UN agencies, NGOs and government agencies. It is still a dangerous situation for workers. The water continues to flow down the mountain, and the land continues to slide. Falling rocks are also affecting relief efforts.
About 1,000 people have been affected by the landslide, and the death toll is expected to rise further. Mr Aktoprak said helpers were using every tool available, including shovels and sticks, to find the bodies.
Access to the rescue site is limited due to debris covering a large section of the single highway into Enga province, but heavy equipment is expected to arrive on Sunday to assist with recovery efforts.
Communications infrastructure and access roads to the affected areas were damaged, the UN office in Papua New Guinea said in a statement on Saturday.
An Emergency Response Coordination Team comprising the Enga Provincial Disaster Coordination Office, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Provincial Works, Police, National Defense Forces and the United Nations has been established to coordinate and lead relief efforts.
An initial rapid impact assessment conducted by the team identified an immediate need for food, shelter and medical supplies.
“The United Nations is monitoring the situation very closely, working with national and local government authorities, including other partners, to determine the extent of the damage, the number of casualties, and possible assistance that may be needed for those affected,” the statement concluded.
