They estimate that an avalanche buried 2,000 people in Papua New Guinea

More than 2,000 people have been buried by the large avalanche that devastated a remote town in northern Papua New Guinea on Friday, according to the National Disaster Center, while rescue efforts are complicated by the instability of the terrain and difficult access to the zone.

According to a letter from the center dated Sunday and sent this Monday to the UN coordinator in the country, to which EFE had access, “more than 2,000 people were buried alive” by the “massive avalanche” that occurred near the gold mine. Porgera, in the province of Enga, in the north of the country.

The avalanche, which occurred on Friday at 3 a.m. (17.00GMT Thursday), ““It caused great destruction of buildings and gardens and has had a great impact on the economic support of the country.”says the letter, which adds that the main access road to the Porgera mine “is completely blocked.”

The collapse of part of a mountain for reasons still unknown impacted the town of Kaokalam, about 600 kilometers from the country’s capital, Port Moresby.

“The situation remains unstable, as the landslide continues slowly, which still poses a danger to rescue teams and survivors,” underlines the letter from the Papuan organization.

Despite the difficulties, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today in a statement that medical assistance has been provided to “six survivors, including a child,” and that efforts continue “to find the missing.” “.

Among them, it indicates that there are “both residents and individuals displaced by the recent conflicts.”

The country’s Ministry of Defense, which is leading the rescue operation with the support of local and provincial authorities, the National Disaster Center and international organizations, said today in a statement that the landslide affected an area where more than 4,000 people live. people.

However, the Local authorities estimate that the number of people affected may be higher.since the area welcomed people displaced by conflicts and tribal clashes in nearby villages.

Unicef ​​estimates that of the total number of people affected, which it also establishes at around 4,000, 1,550 are children, with a school in the area “completely damaged” by the avalanche, “9 orphaned children and more than 20 women and minors injured.”

Difficulty of access and communication

UN sources consulted by EFE highlight the difficulty of accurately determining the number of fatalities and missing persons due in part to the laborious rescue operation due to the instability of the terrain, the difficult access to the area and communication problems.

“Three and a half days have passed and the possibilities of saving lives at between six and eight meters of depth are not very high, unfortunately,” a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) told EFE today.

Figures from Sunday from the IOM, which has six workers in the disaster area, estimated at 670 those buried under the avalanche, although according to the National Disaster Center this figure rises to 2,000although the sources consulted insist on maintaining caution given the circumstances.

The avalanche has also displaced about 1,000 people, according to this agency.

The UN Coordination Office in Papua New Guinea said in a statement this Monday that it is assisting the country in establishing “evacuation centres” for those affected by the tragedy.

The affected area usually suffers from intense rains and flooding, and landslides are not unusual in the country, where, despite the wealth of natural resources, a large part of its more than nine million inhabitants lives in extreme poverty and is isolated due to a lack of communications and infrastructure.

The tragedy coincides with a crisis in the government of Prime Minister James Marape, which could face a vote of confidence after this weekend at least 18 deputies linked to his party, including five ministers, joined the opposition due to disagreements. with government policies.

Papua New Guinea sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of ​​great seismic and volcanic activity that is shaken by about 7,000 earthquakes a year, most of them moderate.