Death toll from Papua New Guinea landslide rises to 670
International Desk
More than 670 people are believed to have died after a massive landslide obliterated Kaokalam village in Enga Province, about 600 km (370 miles) northwest of capital Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea around 3am on Friday (1900 GMT on Thursday).
"There are an estimated 150-plus houses now buried" said UN migration agency official Serhan Aktoprak on Sunday, adding that "670-plus people are assumed dead".
"The situation is terrible with the land still sliding. The water is running and this is creating a massive risk for eveyrone involved," added Aktoprak, who is based in Port Moresby.
More than 1,000 people had been displaced from the once-bustling village, Aktoprak said, with food gardens and water supplies almost completely wiped out.
"People are using digging sticks, spades, large agricultural forks to remove the bodies buried under the soil."
