Papua New Guinea prime minister visits site of massive landslide estimated to have killed hundreds
Papua New Guinea’s prime minister has visited the site of a massive landslide that is estimated to have buried hundreds of villagers in the South Pacific island nation’s mountainous interior a week ago
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Papua New Guinea’s prime minister on Friday visited the site of a massive landslide that is estimated to have buried hundreds of villagers in the South Pacific island nation’s mountainous interior a week ago and where the ground too unstable for heavy earth-moving machines to help clear the mess.
James Marape told hundreds who had gathered near the devastated Yambali village that the list of governments and world leaders who had sent their condolences included the United States, China, India, France, Malaysia and the Czech Republic. First on the list was British King Charles III, Papua New Guinea’s constitutional head of state.
“My people are simple people. I want to say thank you for them to the global friends of PNG,” Marape said.
The first mechanized excavator arrived at the scene on Sunday but has not been permitted to start removing the boulders, rocks and splintered trees that have buried a 150-to-200 meter (500-to-650 foot) stretch of the Enga province’s main highway.
