‘Mass burial site’: PNG landslide death toll remains unknown

The number of people killed and displaced in the horrific landslide in Papua New Guinea’s Enga Province remains unknown.

Hundreds are thought to have been buried in their sleep when it hit Yambali Village in the early hours of 24 May.

In the days after the terrifying landslide, survivors, locals and recovery teams worked around the clock to find any survivors and to recover bodies.

Some people even dug through the mud with their bare hands.

The government paused the excavation of bodies on 7 June due to the danger, and only 12 bodies were recovered.

The landslide is now considered a mass burial site.

United Nations International Organisation for Migration (IOM) chief Serhan Aktoprak said local officials were planning on doing something to remember those who had lost their lives.

“The landslide site is designated as a mass burial site, and the provincial administration is considering potentially to erect a monument to honor the victims.”

The landslide, which covers about 14 hectares, has cut off a critical road to the Porgera Valley, where about 100,000 people live.

Aktoprak said the highway was a lifeline.

”Now it is yet to be seen what kind of solutions will be put in place, could there be another road that could bypass this blocked section, be built? We are yet to be advised on this.”

New Zealand sent a team of geotechnical experts and search and rescue personnel to do air and land assessments.

They gave advice to local officials to evacuate and relocate, due to the imminent risk of more landslides.

Urban Search and Rescue team leader Aaron Waterreus was one of the people who went over and said the team identified another route to connect the Porgera Valley.

“One of the things that we were able to do and provide some advice on was to reroute the road that’s been cut off.

”That whole road through that valley is very, very susceptible to further land slips.

“So we’ve been able to identify a far safer route for the road to be rerouted, so that will provide you know ongoing I guess, resilience for the people at Porgera Valley.”

Waterreus said while he was there the scene and impact on the locals was confronting.

”The scale of it, again is quite massive and you know, when you’re on the ground and you realise what you’re standing in front of what was essentially, you know, a mass grave where people were still trying to locate their loved ones…

”They were digging with small hand tools and shovels and bits of wood to try and move rocks to locate the loved ones.

”So you know that there’s sort of the humanitarian side of it, I guess. It sort of hits you pretty hard when you’re faced with it.”

Efforts are now on getting those who have been advised to relocate, to do so.

‘Promote lasting solutions’

More than 1500 people have been confirmed as being displaced so far, with that number expected to rise.

United Nations International Organisation for Migration regional development officer Sreyashi Bhattacharyya said temporary options were being looked at.

”We are looking at transitional shelter solutions, also providing food assistance, hygiene dignity kits and also help support mental health psychosocial support and assistance to affected communities.”

She said a long-term plan was also being put in place.

”At the foundation of it all, what is very important for us to recognise is that the humanitarian community supports all efforts which bring an end to displacement and promote lasting solutions for displaced persons.

”Where there are for example conducive conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified relocation.”

The true number of people who need to be relocated won’t be known for another few weeks.