More than 100 deaths feared in massive landslide in Papua New Guinea

More than 100 people are believed to have died after a massive landslide struck a remote mountainous region in Papua New Guinea on Friday.

The landslide occurred while people were sleeping, at about 3 a.m. local time, and devastated the village of Kaokalam in Enga province, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

Residents estimate that the death toll is currently over 100, but this figure has not been confirmed by authorities.

Villagers believe the death toll could be much higher, with a video circulating on social media showing locals digging up buried bodies from the ground.

Elizabeth Laruma, who heads an association of women entrepreneurs in Porgera, a town in the same province near the Porgera gold mine, said houses were leveled when a mountainside gave way.

“It happened when people were still sleeping in the early hours of the morning and the whole village was incapacitated,” Ms Laruma told ABC News.

“As far as I can tell, there are over 100 people buried underground.”

She said the landslide had blocked the road between Porgera and the village, raising concerns about the supply of fuel and goods to the town.

Villager Ninga Role, who was away at the time of the landslide, believes at least four of his relatives were killed.

“There are some huge rocks and plants, trees. The buildings have collapsed,” Ms Role said.

“These things make it difficult to find the bodies quickly.”

The government and police of Papua New Guinea did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.

Papua New Guinea is a diverse developing country, with a population predominantly made up of subsistence farmers and 800 languages ​​spoken. There are few roads outside of the larger cities.

With 10 million inhabitants, it is the most populous country in the South Pacific after Australia (27 million inhabitants).