New Guinea Papers: Country's Leader Reveals Grand Corruption Scheme - Following the landslide, locating survivors appears to be a rare occurrence.
A week after the devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea, the chances of finding any survivors are slim. "There's a chance a miracle might happen if anyone was found alive at this point," said Justine McMahon, Director of Care International in Papua New Guinea, to the German Press Agency.
There's still uncertainty regarding the number of people buried under the debris and mud that engulfed a remote village in the Enga province a week ago. The local disaster relief authorities initially estimated around 2,000 people were buried. However, McMahon stated, "I doubt we'll ever know the precise number of casualties," likely due to the authorities not having a clear count. "It could be hundreds or thousands."
The rescue operations are incredibly challenging, potentially taking months or even years to locate all the bodies. As of six days after the landslide, only eleven had been recovered. The survivors are greatly affected, many of them unable to discuss their experiences.
There's also the risk of additional rockslides, as the earth remains unstable. The government plans to relocate several thousand people, yet it's not easy to find new land for them. McMahon explained, "In Melanesia, and especially Papua New Guinea, the connection to the land holds a spiritual significance. The land links the people to their ancestors and their culture."
Prime Minister James Marape visited the disaster zone by helicopter and committed 4.7 million euros in emergency aid, according to the International Organization for Migration. The cause of the disaster remains unknown. Nonetheless, heavy rainfall preceded the incident, and Papua New Guinea is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the most seismically active regions on Earth. A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck the Enga province a few days before the landslide.
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- Care International, in their effort to aid the victims of the storm-induced landslide in Papua New Guinea, has expressed concern about the ongoing rescue operations and the difficulty in determining the exact number of casualties.
- In the aftermath of the disaster, international aid organizations like Care International and the International Organization for Migration are working closely with the Papua New Guinean government, providing emergency aid and assistance to the affected communities.
- The German Press Agency reported that Justine McMahon, Director of Care International in Papua New Guinea, emphasized the cultural significance of the land and the challenges associated with relocating thousands of displaced people following the landslide in the Enga province.
- The spokesperson for Care International in the German Press Agency report also mentioned that the organization is actively involved in emergency response efforts in Papua New Guinea, collaborating with local authorities and other international agencies to address the immediate needs of the survivors of the landslide.
