Thousands feared buried alive in Papua landslide
STORY: More than 2,000 people could be buried alive by a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea last week.
That’s according to a new figure by the National Disaster Centre on Sunday, which was released publicly by the United Nations on Monday.
Evit Kambu says she lost 18 family members.
“I have 18 of my family members buried under the debris and soil that I am standing on. And a lot more family members in the village I cannot count. I am the landowner here, thank you to all those who've come to help us. But I cannot retrieve the bodies so I am standing here helplessly.”
Estimates of those killed in the landslide around the Yambali village in the country's north have been rising steadily since Friday.
Local media on Monday reported that residents had rescued a couple trapped under rubble after hearing their cries for help.
But treacherous terrain and the remote location raises the risk that few further survivors will be found.
A U.N. official said the first excavator did not reach the site til late on Sunday, more than two days after the landslide.
And nearby tribal warfare, which killed at least eight people on Saturday, has forced aid workers to lodge nearly 40 miles away, rather than staying closer to the site, which has further hampered relief efforts.
More than 72 hours after the landslide residents are still using spades, sticks and their bare hands to try and shift the debris and reach any survivors.
Six bodies have been retrieved so far.
CARE International estimates 4,000 people were living near the affected area, but the population is difficult to determine, as the country’s last credible census was in 2000 and many people live in remote mountainous villages.
