Papua New Guinea's prime minister assesses the devastation of major landslide as aid arrives
- Papua New Guinea's prime minister visits the site of a major landslide in the country's mountainous interior.
- Survivors of the landslide appeal for food and shelter as aid from Australia starts arriving.
- Government estimates suggest more than 2,000 people may have been buried in the disaster.
Papua New Guinea's prime minister visited a landslide site in the country's mountainous region. The landslide buried many villagers and made the ground unstable. Heavy machines couldn't help clear the debris. The military planned to send excavators and bulldozers to assist but faced challenges. The United Nations estimated that 670 villagers died, displacing 1,650 survivors. The government believed over 2,000 people were buried. The area remained unstable, preventing the use of heavy machinery. A dispute between landowners and a gold mine, along with villagers' sensitivities, hindered debris removal. Local landowners were urged to allow access to the disaster site for equipment from the nearby gold mine. Some survivors wanted the debris to remain as a memorial. Traumatized children needed urgent care to prevent malnutrition. UNICEF aimed to provide supplies and support for vulnerable children quickly.