What we know about the landslide in Papua New Guinea

Nearly five days after a landslide devastated a remote region of Papua New Guinea, authorities in the Pacific island nation have begun evacuating residents as the area remains dangerous.

“The rocks are still moving, the mountain is still collapsing and we are seeing rocks and debris piling up on top of what has already happened,” Enga provincial administrator Sandis Tsaka said Tuesday evening, place of the disaster. “The surrounding land is beginning to collapse.”

Those conditions, Mr. Tsaka said, also prevented authorities from bringing in heavy equipment to clear debris and search for survivors. The circumstances also make it difficult to understand the true scale of the tragedy, with estimates of the death toll ranging from several hundred to several thousand.

Here’s what we know so far:

What happened?

The landslide hit the community around Yambali village around 3am on Friday. Rocks the size of shipping containers demolished buildings, burying at least 60 homes and at least one primary school.

Papua New Guinea is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, and this landslide disrupted the main highway to the region, making it more difficult to deliver aid.

Videos posted on social media showed residents using shovels and picks to search for survivors under huge boulders. A United Nations official estimated the debris was up to 26 feet high.

What was the damage?

Estimates of the number of deaths vary widely. A United Nations agency put the number at around 670 on Sunday, but a day later local authorities said up to 2,000 people had died.

“Even if officials agree that the death toll will be high, it is difficult to say how many actually died,” said Nicholas Booth, Papua New Guinea’s resident representative for the United Nations Development Program.

As of Tuesday, only six bodies had been found, according to a UN statement.

In addition, more than 150 structures were damaged or buried, Booth said.

The landslide occurred in a remote but densely populated area in the Papua New Guinea highlands. A 2022 electoral roll estimated the area’s population at just under 4,000, not taking into account children or teenagers under 18, Mr Booth said.

The population count is further complicated, he explained, by tribal conflicts in the region, which have led to internal displacement of people.

What is the history of tribal violence?

Tensions between tribes have been growing for years, according to experts, who say the scarcity of basic resources like water and land has fueled the conflict.

Saturday morning, a tribal clash blocked access to the disaster site. Eight people died in weekend clashes and 30 homes were burned, according to the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations agency.

In February, more than two dozen people were killed in inter-tribal shootings in Enga province. At the time, police said up to 17 tribes were involved in the violence. Last year, more than 150 people were killed in tribal clashes, prompting the provincial government to lock down the region for three months.

What is the political situation in Papua New Guinea?

The deadly landslide occurred at a tense political moment for the country which, although rich in natural resources, remains underdeveloped. Prime Minister James Marape, in power since 2019, is rejecting attempts by the opposition to present a motion of no confidence against his government in Parliament.

Mr. Marape had promised to transform the economy of Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s poorest countries, and was re-elected in 2022. He has tried to court both the United States and the China, which are vying for influence in the Pacific.

But economic concerns persist. In January, a pay dispute between the government and hundreds of civil servants and police turned into deadly riots. Experts say youth unemployment is a major problem in Papua New Guinea, where almost two-thirds of its population is under 25.