Early on Friday morning, a massive landslide struck a remote village in northern Papua New Guinea, leaving dozens of houses flattened. According to a local villager, Ninga Role, some families were buried alive, raising fears of hundreds of fatalities.
Role told Reuters over the phone that around 3 a.m., the village of Kaokalam was hit by the landslide, burying more than 50 houses, with many people still asleep inside. He said the death toll is close to 300 people, including his brother and cousin.
Reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and other local media indicated over 100 fatalities.
Role recounted how a man who had turned back to save his two children ended up being buried along with his extended family.
Videos shared by Role on social media show people climbing over rocks, uprooted trees, and mounds of debris in search of survivors. In the background, the sounds of women crying can be heard.
Role described the situation as daunting, with large swathes of the area covered in rocks and trees, making rescue efforts extremely challenging if not nearly impossible.
The village is located in Enga Province, about 370 miles north of the capital Port Moresby.
Prime Minister James Marape stated in a release that the full extent of the situation was yet to be reported to him, but authorities were already responding to the disaster.
Marape affirmed, “We are deploying disaster response officials, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, as well as personnel from the Department of Works and Implementation and local provincial and district authorities to initiate disaster response, body retrieval, and infrastructure rebuilding efforts.”
He pledged, “I will provide further information once we have a comprehensive understanding of the extent of the damage and casualties.”
The landslide occurred along a road near the Porgera Gold Mine, operated by Barrick Niugini Ltd, a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Zijin Mining.
A spokesperson for Barrick Gold stated, “Assessment of the damage is ongoing, so it is premature to determine whether the operations at the Porgera Gold Mine, located 100 kilometers away, have been affected.” The spokesperson added that the mine currently had sufficient fuel to operate for 40 days and could sustain other critical supplies for a longer period.
Barrick Gold is currently one of the world’s largest gold mining companies, headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
In a report from May 1, 2020, Barrick Niugini’s mining contract with Papua New Guinea over the Porgera Gold Mine was not renewed by the government, resulting in tensions between the government and China as the contract review sought greater benefits for the country. Marape justified the non-renewal decision citing the nation’s interests and adherence to existing laws.
Being elected amidst dissatisfaction over foreign exploitation of the country’s resources, Marape assured voters of reclaiming national resources from foreign hands.