Papua New Guinea informed the U.N. that more than 2,000 people were buried in last week’s massive landslide, according to a letter seen by numerous news agencies.
Melbourne, Australia — The Papua New Guinea government said buried more than 2,000 people alive. It formally asked for international help.
The government figure is around three times more than .
The remains of only six people had been recovered so far.
In a letter to the U.N. resident coordinator dated Sunday and seen by numerous news agencies, the acting director of the South Pacific island nation’s National Disaster Center said the landslide “buried more than 2000 people alive” and caused “major destruction.”
The landslide caused “major destruction to buildings, food gardens and caused major impact on the economic lifeline of the country,” the letter said, according to Agence France-Presse.
The letter also said the main highway to the Porgera Gold Mine was “completely blocked.”
Estimates of the casualties have varied widely since the disaster occurred, and it wasn’t immediately clear how officials arrived at the new number of people affected.
Australia was preparing Monday to send aircraft and other equipment to help at the landslide site as overnight rains in the nation’s mountainous interior raised fears that the tons of rubble that buried villagers could become dangerously unstable.
