"Highly unlikely" to find any more survivors in PNG's landslide: UN official-Xinhua

This screenshot captured from a video shows people searching the site of a landslide in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, May 27, 2024. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday. "At this stage, more than four days after the disaster, which took place on Friday at 3 a.m. local time, it is highly unlikely to find any more survivors," Mate Bagossy, humanitarian affairs specialist & humanitarian advisor of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in PNG, told Xinhua. The Papua New Guinea National Disaster Center has confirmed that more than 2,000 people were buried alive after the massive landslide occurred in Enga Province. (Xinhua)

SYDNEY, May 28 (Xinhua) -- It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.

"At this stage, more than four days after the disaster, which took place on Friday at 3 a.m. local time, it is highly unlikely to find any more survivors," Mate Bagossy, humanitarian affairs specialist & humanitarian advisor of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in PNG, told Xinhua.

A couple was found alive around 48 hours after the event, but no more survivors were found since then, he said.

"The search operation is at this stage focused more on body removal than on hopes of finding survivors," Bagossy said.

The Papua New Guinea National Disaster Center has confirmed that more than 2,000 people were buried alive after the massive landslide occurred in Enga Province.

The area is relatively remote, the landslide has not fully subsided and the terrain is not sufficiently stable to safely engage in the search operations, Bagossy said.

The PNG Defence Force is still leading search efforts, which are nevertheless conducted manually with the hopes of retrieving more victims, the UN official said.

"Survivors are traumatized and have generally lost not only families but also food gardens and livestock," Bagossy said. "Relief aid is however starting to be delivered, with some limited food and water already provided and more significant aid expected to be delivered very soon, from today onwards, by a variety of partners, including United Nations agencies."

Six bodies have been retrieved so far and the number is expected to increase as retrieval efforts continue amid challenges due to unstable landslide conditions, according to a media release of the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in PNG.

The total affected population, including those in need of possible evacuation and relocation, is estimated at 7,849 individuals (1,427 households), based on the 2022 common roll, it said.

Forty-two percent of this population are under 16 years and a total of 150 structures are estimated to have been buried, it added. ■

Locals grieve at the site of a landslide in Yambali village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, May 27, 2024. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.

The Papua New Guinea National Disaster Center has confirmed that more than 2,000 people were buried alive after the massive landslide occurred in Enga Province. (Photo by Juho Valta/UNDP Papua New Guinea/Handout via Xinhua)

A man searches the site of a landslide in Yambali village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, May 27, 2024. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.

Local people search the site of a landslide in Yambali village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, May 27, 2024. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.

Local people search the site of a landslide in Mulitaka Village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, May 29, 2024. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.

The Papua New Guinea National Disaster Center has confirmed that more than 2,000 people were buried alive after the massive landslide occurred in Enga Province. (Photo by Emmanuel Vincent Eralia/Xinhua)

This photo taken on May 29, 2024 shows the site of a landslide in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.

Local people receive media interview near the site of a landslide in Mulitaka Village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, May 29, 2024. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 27, 2024 shows local people searching the site of a landslide in Yambali village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.

A house destroyed by a landslide is pictured in Mulitaka Village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, May 29, 2024. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 27, 2024 shows the site of a landslide in Yambali village, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. It is "highly unlikely" to find any more survivors from the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s remote Enga Province, a UN official said on Tuesday.