Locals and rescue missions are quickly digging through rubble to find survivors and victims of the Mount Mungalo landslide that covered nearly 700 people.
The collapse of a mountain side early Friday morning during heavy rain wiped out the bustling village of Mulitaka in Enga province, Papua New Guinea, reports the BBC.
Emergency personnel deployed to the region are prioritizing the evacuation of people from the area where conditions remain precarious.
Less than a dozen bodies have been recovered so far with efforts hindered by rubble 10m deep in some places and a lack of adequate equipment.
The ground remains unstable, which makes rescue more difficult, as this could make the ground slide even more.
Villagers are also afraid of the heavy machinery. What’s more, the main road which leads to the village was also ruined by the landslide.
Initial reports had put the death toll in the low hundreds, however, it sadly leaped on Sunday after a UN revision.
