At Least 100 Killed in Massive Landslide in Papua New Guinea

At least 100 people were killed Friday in a massive landslide that buried a village in a remote part of Papua New Guinea. The landslide reportedly hit Kaokalam village in Enga province, about 370 miles northwest of the capital Port Moresby, local authorities said. Engas provincial administrator, Sandis Tsaka, said emergency response teams had been sent to the area, including disaster, police and health workers as the extent of the damaged was assessed. "The devastating landslide which is being described as unprecedented natural disaster occurred early hours of this morning, causing substantial damages to property and human lives which are currently unaccounted for," Tsaka said. The landslide had also blocked a road to the town of Porgera, where a large gold mine is located. Tsaka said the rescue efforts included work to clear access to the road to Porgera "that was substantially damaged and blocked". Papua New Guinea is constantly exposed to natural disasters, including landslides, floods and earthquak es. In March, at least 23 people died in a landslide in a province neighboring Enga. Source: Qatar News Agency