AGI – Papua New Guinea has informed the UN that more than 2,000 people were buried alive in a huge landslide of mud and rocks that engulfed a remote village in the highlands. “The landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused severe destruction,” read the letter sent by the National Disaster Center to the United Nations office in Port Moresby. On Sunday evening Serhan Aktoprak, an official of the UN immigration agency based in Port Moresby, spoke of 150 homes destroyed and 670 deaths.
The UN secretary general said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of hundreds of lives lost in the giant landslide that hit a village in Papua New Guinea. “The United Nations – added Secretary Antonio Guterres, through the spokesperson – and its partners are supporting the government’s efforts. We are ready to offer further help in this difficult moment”.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was “saddened” by the news and offered help to the Pacific island nation. “China stands ready to provide assistance,” Xi added in a letter. The UN has invited member countries to a meeting on emergency aid via Zoom at 10am local time tomorrow (2am in Italy), the French embassy in Port Moresby said.
