A ray of hope broke through the chaos that was occurring in Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Monday. Days after a massive landslide slammed into Enga province, residents miraculously rescued Johnson and Jacklyn Yandam, according to Al Jazeera. The NBC News network in Papua New Guinea aired the emotional reunion of the Yandams, which serves as a poignant counterpoint to the ongoing search efforts that are hindered by difficult weather conditions and logistical challenges.
Only six bodies have been found, despite the government’s estimate that over 2,000 people may be buried beneath the rubble. Road closures prevent heavy equipment essential for additional excavation from being accessed, so accessing the remote disaster area is dependent on helicopter support.
Concerns about further mudslides triggered by relentless rains have intensified, adding another layer of complexity to the rescue operation. Authorities anticipate the search efforts to continue for days, with the true scope of the tragedy likely to evolve as rescue teams gain access. Though the Yandams’ survival offers a much-needed reprieve, the overall situation in Enga province remains critically serious.
“We thank God for saving our lives at that moment. We were certain that we were going to die but the big rocks didn’t crush us,” Jacklyn said. “It’s really hard to explain as we got trapped for nearly eight hours, then got rescued. We believe we were saved for a purpose.”
The latest estimate is a significant increase from earlier estimates of the landslide that happened on Friday of last week in the mountainous Enga region of northern Papua New Guinea.
The United Nations confirmed shortly after the tragedy that up to 100 people might have perished.
Estimates from the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the nation, CNN reported, however, later revised it up to 670.
However, based on the most recent estimate from Papua New Guinea’s disaster agency, that might have been a significant underestimate.
“The landslide buried more than 2000 people alive, caused major destruction to buildings, and food gardens and caused major impact on the economic lifeline of the country,” Lusete Laso Mana, Acting Director of the National Disaster Centre, said in a letter to the UN.
“The situation remains unstable as the landslip continues to shift slowly, posing ongoing danger to both rescue teams and survivors alike,” he said, adding that the main highway to the area had been completely blocked by the landslide.
Notably, Papua New Guinea is home to around 10 million people. Its vast mountainous terrain and lack of roads have made it difficult to access the affected area.
