The Death Toll from the Landslide in Papua New Guinea Reaches 670

The International Organization for Migration on Sunday raised its estimate of casualties from the landslide in Papua New Guinea to over 670. Serhan Aktoprak, the head of this UN-affiliated agency, stated that the new estimate is based on the burial of 150 homes under debris and the presence of at least 670 people in them. Previously, it was believed that 60 homes had been buried and about 100 people were inside them at the time of the landslide. So far, only the bodies of five people and a foot of another victim have been recovered from the rubble. According to the Associated Press, rescuers have lost hope of finding survivors at depths of six to eight meters. Amid the threat posed by the area's geological instability and tribal wars, rescuers continue to transfer survivors to safer areas. Officials reported that about 250 other homes were evacuated following the landslide, resulting in 1,250 people becoming homeless. Local officials also reported the deaths of eight people due to clashes between two rival tribes on Saturday. They stated that about 30 homes and five businesses were also destroyed in these conflicts. The national government is reviewing a formal request to the international community for additional aid. The United States and Australia are among the countries that have expressed readiness to provide further assistance to survivors. Papua New Guinea is a diverse and developing country with 800 languages and a population of 10 million, most of whom are farmers. The death toll from the landslide in the Philippines has risen to 54, the death toll from the earthquake in Japan has reached 110, and search operations continue; at least 21 people have died due to an earthquake in China.