Rescue operation continues to find survivors of Papua New Guinea landslide

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – Rescuers searched through earth and rubble for the third straight day on Sunday for possible survivors of a massive landslide that killed over 300 people in Papua New Guinea's remote highlands, local and international media reported.

Emergency responders moved victims to safer locations as hopes of finding more survivors under the rubble are fading with every passing moment.

The enormous landslide devastated six villages and buried nearly 1,200 houses in Enga Province, about 600 kilometers (373 miles) northwest of the country's capital Port Moresby on Friday.

The UN said on Sunday that three bodies were recovered from an area where 50 to 60 homes had been destroyed, warning that the death toll is likely to rise, Sky News reported.

Another six people, including a child, were pulled from the rubble alive.

The landslide has also blocked a road leading to Porgera, a town with a large gold mine.

According to an Australian aid group, the landslide likely affected over 4,000 people.

CARE Australia reported late Saturday that nearly 4000 people lived in the impact zone, with the total number of those affected probably higher as the area was "a place of refuge for those displaced by conflicts" in nearby areas.

It said Friday's landslide left debris up to 8 meters (26 feet) deep across 200 square kilometers (77 square miles), cutting off road access and making relief efforts difficult.

Helicopters are the only way into the area.

"More homes could be at risk if the landslide continues down the mountain," the statement added.