2024 Enga landslide

2024 Enga landslide

Date	24 May 2024 (2024-05-24)
Time	c. 03:00 PGT (UTC+10:00)
Location	Maip Muritaka Rural LLG, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea
Coordinates	5°22′26″S 143°23′19″E
Cause	Gold mining and/or heavy rains (suspected)
Deaths	2,000+ (estimated)
Non-fatal injuries	7
Missing	2,500+

On 24 May 2024, a landslide occurred in Mulitaka, Papua New Guinea. Over 2,000 people were thought to have been killed; however, only six bodies were recovered. Many others are missing, including about 2,500 in the villages of Kaokalam and Tulipana alone. It is the deadliest natural disaster in the country since the 1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake, and the deadliest landslide globally since the Vargas tragedy.

Background

Papua New Guinea has regularly experienced fatal landslides contributed to by its mountainous terrain, weather, climate, poverty and government mismanagement. In 2024, the country saw intense rainfall and flooding. One landslide in April killed 14 people, while another a month prior killed at least 21.

Cause

On 18 May, a M_w 4.5 earthquake occurred 105 km (65 mi) west of where the landslide happened. It struck 126.2 km (78.4 mi) below the surface. A local said this may have caused the landslide. The Red Cross said that there was no indication that the earthquake caused it, instead attributing it to either gold mining or heavy rain.

Impact

The landslide occurred at approximately 03:00 PGT on 24 May (17:00 UTC on 23 May), after a large amount of debris was dislodged from the limestone slopes of Mount Mungalo. It destroyed six villages in Maip Muritaka Rural LLG. In Kaokalam village alone, dozens of houses were destroyed and an estimated 500 people were buried. It blocked a highway near the Porgera Gold Mine, and destroyed 150 metres (490 ft) of the main highway leading into Kaokalam, causing concerns over the supply of fuel and goods. A road construction crew working on the highway was also buried in the landslide.

Approximately 2,000 people were buried in Tulipana village. The highway connecting to Port Moresby, the capital, was also blocked. Gardens which provided food for the village and its three water streams were buried and destroyed. An official of the International Organization for Migration estimated that the area covered by the landslide was the equivalent of between "three and four football fields". The debris was estimated to be 6 metres (20 ft) to 8 metres (26 ft) deep.

On 27 May, it was estimated that 2,000 people may have been killed by the landslide in Yambali village alone. These numbers were not confirmed by government officials. Over 4,000 people were directly affected. Five bodies and a leg of a sixth victim were recovered. Seven people were injured and four others were rescued, while 1,182 homes were reported to have been destroyed or buried, displacing around 1,250 people. More than 5,000 pigs, 100 stores and five vehicles were also believed to have been buried, as well as two health centres. An additional 250 homes were condemned due to unstable ground conditions, displacing about 1,250 people.

Aftermath

My wife and I were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the devastating landslide in Enga, and the tragic loss of so many lives, homes and food gardens. [...] I have faith that your communities will come together to support the survivors and the recovery in these heartbreaking circumstances.

Charles III, King of Papua New Guinea, 2024

Prime Minister James Marape announced that the Papua New Guinea Defence Force was sent to the scene to conduct relief work, recover bodies and rebuild destroyed infrastructure. Police, medics, engineers, and United Nations personnel were also dispatched, while some locals acted as first responders. By dusk, rescuers at the scene utilized a mechanical digger and tools in an attempt to locate survivors.

International humanitarian agency CARE and the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society said that they were assessing the situation. CARE later said around 4,000 people were in need of humanitarian aid following the disaster, including individuals displaced during intertribal clashes in February 2024. Australia, France and the United States said they were prepared to assist in humanitarian efforts. Rescue work was hampered by large rocks and fallen trees, with the Red Cross estimating that it would take up to two days for humanitarian assistance to arrive. According to ABC News, only helicopters could access Kaokalam.

Humanitarian convoys were deployed by road from the provincial capital Wabag toward the disaster zone beginning on 25 May and were escorted by the Papua New Guinea Defence Force due to intertribal clashes in Tambitanis, which lies along the way, and where eight people were killed and 35 homes and businesses were burned down in the violence. Defense Minister Billy Joseph and PNG National Disaster Centre director Laso Mana announced plans to visit Wabag on 26 May to assess recovery efforts. The Porgera mine also pledged to provide mechanical diggers to help in rescue and road-clearing operations. The National Disaster Centre released K500,000 in aid to the Enga provincial government.

See also

• 1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake
• List of landslides

External links

• "Eyewitness video captures landslide 'catastrophe' in Papua New Guinea"—Video of the aftermath of the landslide published by NBC News
• "Hundreds feared dead after landslide strikes Papua New Guinea village"—Photos of the aftermath published by the Hindustan Times