More than 2,000 people buried under landslides in Papua New Guinea
Over 150 houses submerged in highlands of northern Enga province last Friday, according to authorities
ISTANBUL
Papua New Guinea has estimated that around 2,000 people were buried after landslides hit a remote village last Friday.
In a letter to the UN, the country's disaster agency “estimates that more than 2,000 people could be buried under the rubble,” ABC News reported on Monday.
More than 150 houses have been buried in Yambali village alone, according to Serhan Aktoprak, an official of the UN migration agency mission in Papua New Guinea.
The affected areas are in the highlands of Enga province, north of the country in the southwest Pacific.
According to the UN office in the Pacific Island nation, around “670 people (were) missing but the exact number is to be ascertained as search and rescue efforts continue.”
It said: "Site's remoteness, ongoing terrain movement and damage to access roads is slowing relief efforts."
"Government authorities remain focused on clearing debris and improving access to the site," the UN office added.
Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.
