Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
ABC News
ABC News
National
By PNG correspondent Natalie Whiting

Five bodies recovered from remote Papua New Guinea landslide site

Five bodies have now been recovered from the site of a landslide in a remote part of Papua New Guinea's Central Province.

It's believed fifteen people, including three children, have been killed in the landslide which happened at an informal mining camp in the early hours of Monday morning.

The recovery effort has been slow, hampered by rain and inaccessibility, but more supplies including water pumps to help clear the fallen earth have been flown in.

The region's Governor Robert Agarobe is hopeful all of the bodies will be recovered within days.

Governor Agarobe flew to the site with extra supplies including food, tools, a generator and water pumps to help clear the fallen earth.

"We will have a few more charters [flights] going up with a few more staff, hopefully we should, in the next day or two, recover the rest of the bodies," he said.

Coffins are also being flown to the site for the victims.

A group of people were sleeping at the base of the mountainside when the landslide happened.

The area in the Goilala District, known as Saki, is home to an informal alluvial mining camp where people dig and pan for gold.

While the landslide happened on Monday, details of the incident only emerged on Tuesday due to the remoteness of the area.

It is only accessible by helicopter or a two-hour walk, and has no mobile phone reception.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.