Canberra [Australia], May 28 : Following the tragic landslide that killed about 670 people in Papua New Guinea, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday that they are "working closely" with the authorities on the ground amid the tragedy that has struck the nation.
Noting that Australia is ready to respond for assistance, Wong, in a post on X, said, "Australia's Disaster Assistance Response Team have landed in Papua New Guinea, ready to help following the devastating landslide in Enga Province."
"We are working closely with PNG authorities on the ground, and stand ready to respond to additional requests for assistance," Wong added.
https://x.com/SenatorWong/status/1795375264169603480
The landslide occurred in the mountainous Enga region in northern Papua New Guinea on Friday last week and the latest figure is a sharp rise from earlier estimates.
The deadly landslide claimed the lives of 670 people, according to the estimates from the Chief of Mission for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in the country, CNN reported.
But that may now be a major underestimate, according to the latest projection from Papua New Guinea's disaster agency.
Around 2000 people are feared to have been buried by the massive landslide.
"The landslide buried more than 2000 people alive, caused major destruction to buildings, and food gardens, and caused a major impact on the economic lifeline of the country," Lusete Laso Mana, Acting Director of the National Disaster Centre, said in a letter to the UN.
"The situation remains unstable as the landslip continues to shift slowly, posing an ongoing danger to both rescue teams and survivors alike," he said.
Over 150 houses in Yambali village were buried in debris, according to the officials.
The area continues to pose an "extreme risk," officials added, as rocks continue to fall and the ground soil is exposed to constant increased pressure.
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