Saturday, May 25, 2024, 3:04 p.m.
There’s no hope. An avalanche of land has buried at least 300 residents of the village of Kaokalam, in Papua New Guinea, who “has completely disappeared under the mud”, according to the first witnesses of the incident. The landslide occurred during the early hours of Friday and surprised the residents of the town, located about 600 kilometers northwest of the capital, Port Moresby, asleep. It has taken the rescue teams hours to reach the site, since it is a remote town and they have found the roads and paths blocked by thousands of tons of earth and rocks.
The first rescuers are already inspecting the place, a huge wasteland covered with large blocks of stone and mud that prevent the buildings from being seen. The accident has buried at least 1,182 houses. The number of fatalities is an approximation made by the authorities, since so far only a very small number of bodies have been recovered. The heavy machinery capable of removing the remains has not yet managed to approach the village. The authorities still do not know the cause of the catastrophe, although some witnesses have stated that a huge portion of the mountain suddenly fell away and the avalanche of rocks, mud and trees buried the houses. “It is an unprecedented natural disaster,” said the governor of Enga province, Sandis Tsaka.
The United States, Australia and New Zealand have already offered rescue equipment and supplies. The US president, Joe Biden, has issued a statement in which he regrets the devastation and high number of victims caused by the avalanche, while announcing the mobilization of humanitarian aid. “Jill (Biden) and I are heartbroken by the loss of life and devastation caused by the landslide in Papua New Guinea. Our prayers are with all the families affected by this tragedy and with all the first responders who are putting themselves in danger to help their fellow citizens,” he declared.
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