India to give relief assistance worth $ 1 mn to Papua New Guinea in the wake of landslide that killed 2,000

Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday announced immediate relief assistance worth $ 1 million to Papua New Guinea in the wake of devastating landslide that buried more than 2,000 people alive.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep condolences and conveyed India’s readiness to extend all possible support and assistance to the Pacific island country in its time of difficulty.

"As a close friend and partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Papua New Guinea, Government of India extends an immediate relief assistance of US$ 1 million to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts," said MEA in a statement.


Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate from the path of a still-active landslide in Papua New Guinea by the government on Tuesday, after parts of a mountain collapsed.

Relief teams in the Pacific nation have been trickling into the difficult-to-access northern Enga region since Friday though officials said the odds of finding survivors were slim.

Residents said they have been using shovels and bare hands to search for survivors.

"The landslide area is very unstable. When we're up there, we're regularly hearing big explosions where the mountain is, there is still rocks and debris coming down," Enga province disaster committee chairperson Sandis Tsaka told Reuters.

"The landslide is still active, as people are digging through the rocks, more is still coming down."

A state of emergency has been declared across the disaster zone and a neighbouring area, with a combined population of between 4,500 to 8,000, although not all have been ordered to evacuate yet, Tsaka said.

Military personnel have set up checkpoints and are helping move residents to evacuation centres, he said.

Heavy equipment and aid has been slow to arrive because of the remote location, treacherous terrain and tribal unrest in the area forcing the military to escort the convoys of relief teams.