IIn a remote village in Enga Province, northern Papua New Guinea, the community House RegionA traditional mourning house, located about 200 metres from the site of the landslide. A place where people were buried in their sleep on May 24th. The house is a place of memorial for those who died in a tragedy that affected thousands of people.
Authorities ended the official rescue operation earlier this month. Casualty estimates vary widely and few bodies have been recovered. The United Nations initially said 670 villagers were killed, but locals say the actual number is much lower.
Kopen Kongo lives in Muritaka, Enga province, where the disaster occurred. He says many men, women and children are buried under the rubble. Kongo, a police reserve officer, is one of the lucky ones whose family escaped. His mother, two sons and wife were trapped inside the house when the landslide hit, but he managed to rescue them all and survive. Many of his neighbours were not so lucky. Everyone feels this loss deeply.
“The grief of losing so many people in our community is unimaginable,” Congo said. “We demand that the memories of our loved ones be honored.”
The official search for bodies has ended but some relatives and family members continue to search for their loved ones. As the victims grieve, tensions have risen over the authorities’ response, and a road to a nearby mine has been criticised for disrespecting cultural practices.
The decision by the Enga Provincial Disaster Management Committee to build a bypass road to the recently reopened mine in Porgera, about 30 kilometres away, has infuriated many surviving landowners in Yambari, one of the villages affected by the landslide, and neighbouring villages.
Residents are concerned about attempts to transport fuel through the affected area: according to Enggang tradition, it is culturally inappropriate to disturb land where bodies are buried, and residents are demanding proper burials before the road can be opened.
“A temporary detour through the cemetery is not a good idea,” said local missionary Elizabeth Thomas.
Kongo says residents are demanding respect for those who died and want a proper dialogue with the Enga provincial government, and that disaster relief funds are managed transparently and sent to the right organizations.
“We need to ensure that aid money gets to those who need it most, without mismanagement,” he added.
Enga Provincial Disaster Commission deputy chair Kenneth Andrews told local media there had been an agreement between the Yambari and Porgera communities over the use of the road, but many people living in areas affected by the landslides were unhappy.
“The people of Porgera are also suffering from this disaster. We need the people of Yambari to understand and work with the authorities to help them rebuild their lives,” he said. A spokesman for the Porgera mine did not respond to a request for comment.
Unbearable work
Erickson Magario, a resident of Yambari, lost his beloved sister in the disaster. Overwhelmed with grief and a sense of sheer urgency, Magario returned to his village from Wabag town, clinging to the faint hope of recovering his sister’s body. The enormity of the task before him was almost unbearable.
“The rocks are huge and the rubble and mud are thick and deep – our bare hands and shovels just aren’t enough to reach the bodies,” Magario said.
“It was like trying to move a mountain with a spoon.”
Despite relentless efforts, the layer of rubble stood as an insurmountable barrier, and the ground beneath it was constantly flowing and shifting like a fluid.
About 30 people are believed to have died in the disaster from nearby Nete Laimu, who were visiting Yambari when the landslide occurred.
Newman Kana, a community leader in Nete Ryaim, told local radio station Jesus FM that dozens of people live in or pass through the village in search of basic government services that are unavailable in their district. “If basic goods and services were available in their areas and communities, poverty-stricken people would not have lost their lives in this natural disaster.”
In Yambari, ongoing earthquakes continue to threaten those who remain, and preliminary landslide assessments by geological experts indicate the area remains at high risk of rockslides.
Immediate measures such as stabilising the rocks are needed to reduce further risk, while longer-term solutions such as planting taproot plants and road diversions are being considered.
Rescue and relief efforts are focused on immediate assistance and long-term planning to prevent further conflict and prepare for potential future disasters.
“Our hearts are heavy, but our resolve is strong,” Magario said.
“We will rebuild and remember those we lost.”
