UN estimates death toll in Papua New Guinea’s landslide to be 670 fatalities
No fewer than 670 people are assumed dead following Friday’s devastating landslide in the Oceanian country of Papua New Guinea, the United Nations (UN) has said, according to the New York Times.
Authorities in the country continue search-and-rescue operations to find survivors but have experienced difficulties reaching the affected areas due to the danger the continuous shifting of ground poses in the area. As of Sunday, the land was still sliding.
As a result of the danger at the disaster site, many survivors have taken the decision to leave their homes.
Serhan Aktoprak, the chief of mission at the International Organization for Migration’s office in Papua New Guinea, said over 250 houses were abandoned.
He also stated that an estimated 1,250 people have been displaced, and the local government provides food and water for around 600 people in the densely populated Enga Province, which has a young population.
Authorities have expressed concerns that many of the casualties in the region would be children under 15. On Sunday, a humanitarian convoy of local officials and members of the International Organization for Migration is expected to head to the region, the Times reported.
The disaster was in the wake of tribal clashes in the region over the past months, with the recent one being on Saturday when two clans took fighting each other, raising concerns over the safety of the only available road in the area.
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