Landslide in Papua New Guinea claims hundreds of lives

HISTORY: Hundreds of deaths are feared after a massive landslide in northern Papua New Guinea early Friday.

The landslide razed houses to the ground in Enga province, about 370 miles north of the capital Port Moresby.

Videos verified by Reuters show men digging in the ground, climbing over rocks, uprooted trees and piles of dirt in search of survivors.

Media in Papua New Guinea reported, citing a member of the country’s parliament, that more than 1,000 houses were under water as a result of the landslide.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the landslide had blocked access to the highway and the area could only be reached by helicopter.

Emergency teams were said to have reached the sparsely populated area, where an even higher death toll was expected.

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape said disaster management officials, the defence force and other officials were assisting with relief and reconstruction efforts.