Disaster

Relevant information, maps and updates related to this disaster.

Overview

Dozens of people are feared dead, with local rescuers estimating many are still buried under the debris, after the landslide in Komo Maggarima District, in the remote Hela Province, struck in the early hours of 24 January, catching many residents off guard (IRIN, 25 Jan 2012).

Heavy seasonal rains resulted in widespread flooding in Oro Province between September 2011 and January 2012. Some 11,125 people were affected. Thousands people were also affected in other parts of the country, particularly in Sandaun Province, Western Highland Province and NCD Province. Several areas are still difficult to access. (IFRC, 24 Feb 2012)

Affected countries

Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Floods and Landslides - Jan 2012 — 26 found
12 Mar 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinean Landslide Survivors Wait in Vain for Justice

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Inter Press Service

By Catherine Wilson

PORT MORESBY, Mar. 9, 2012 (IPS) - Early morning on Jan. 24, in the remote Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, a massive landslide destroyed communities living below a quarry used by the country’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, operated by Esso Highlands, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil.

Six weeks later survivors, still awaiting government assistance, are speaking out following a flawed preliminary investigation.

08 Mar 2012
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Indonesia
and 4 others
USAID/OFDA East Asia and Pacific Newsletter - January/February 2012

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US Agency for International Development
Download PDF (598.99 KB)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • USAID/OFDA-Supported Search and Rescue Team Receives Earthquake Award
  • Responding to Floods and Landslides in Papua New Guinea
  • Strengthening Flood Preparedness in Thailand -Preparing Microfinance Institutions for Disas-ters in Indonesia
  • USAID/OFDA Supports Disaster Prepar-edness in Laos
06 Mar 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea mountain disaster asks questions of Exxon

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Reuters - AlertNet

06 Mar 2012 04:57

  • Landslide swept over quarry used for Exxon gas project

  • Independent expert had raised safety concerns

  • Call for thorough, independent inquiry

  • Concerns over unrest among local landowners

By Rebekah Kebede

March 6 (Reuters) - A deadly landslide in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, near where U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil is building a $15.7 billion gas project, is raising fresh questions about the global energy industry's scramble for ever harder-to-reach resources.

Reuters - AlertNet:



For more humanitarian news and analysis, please visit www.trust.org/alertnet

24 Feb 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Landslides: Information Bulletin n° 1

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IFRC
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This bulletin is being issued for information only and reflects the current situation and details available at this time. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation. The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Red Cross Society will, however, accept direct assistance to provide support to the affected population.

The situation

24 Feb 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Floods - Information Bulletin n° 1

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IFRC
Download PDF (124.6 KB)

This bulletin is being issued for information only and reflects the current situation and details available at this time. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation. The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Red Cross Society will, however, accept direct assistance to provide support to the affected population.

The situation

17 Feb 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Investigation undertaken of site of PNG landslide

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

An investigation is being carried out into what caused the massive landslide last month in Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands.

The landslide, which occurred near an Exxon-Mobil liquefied natural gas project in the highlands killed dozens of people.

Locals in Papua New Guinea have blamed blasting from nearby quarries for the disaster.

Investigation teams have been examining the site of the landslide.

Presenter: PNG Correspondent, Liam Fox

Speaker:Stanley Mamu, the Chairman of the PNG LNG Watch Association

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC

10 Feb 2012
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Papua New Guinea
PNG unclear about death toll, two weeks after landslide disaster

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Over two weeks since a massive landslide hit Tumbi village in PNG's Southern Highlands province, authorities are still unclear about the death toll.

A local disaster coordinator told Asia Pacific, no bodies have been recovered, but at least 25 people have been listed by friends or relatives as missing.

PNG authorities are verifying the list, but it'll be some time before a clear picture emerges, given the mammoth task of cleaning up millions of cubic metres of rock, mud and soil.

Presenter: Sen Lam

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC

02 Feb 2012
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Papua New Guinea
and 2 others
ROK to Provide Relief Aid to Flood-Stricken Papua New Guinea and Fiji

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Government of the Republic of Korea

  1. The government has decided to provide humanitarian assistance worth US$50,000 each to Papua New Guinea and Fiji that have sustained enormous damage, such as landslides, from torrential rains last weekend.

  2. The aforementioned aid fund, after consultations with the governments of the two countries and the Red Cross, will be used to give relief to flood victims and restore facilities.

30 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
and 1 other
Landslide in the Southern Highlands of PNG

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Australian Agency for International Development, Government of Australia

Updated 31 January 2012: On Tuesday 24 January at 6am there was a large landslide near Hides in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. The landslide displaced three million cubic metres of earth that covered an area of 9.5 hectares. At present there is no reliable information on the number of dead or injured.

Australia immediately offered assistance to the PNG Government following the landslide and has been in constant contact with authorities since the incident occurred.

30 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
PNG Red Cross waiting for report on landslide

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Updated January 30, 2012 17:47:12

PNG's Red Cross organisation is still waiting for detailed reports on the effects of last week's devastating landslide in the Southern Highlands province before deciding what help they can send.

A massive slip more than a kilometre long and up to half a kilometre wide destroyed a village near Tari in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC

30 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Evidence likely to be lost in delayed landslide investigation

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

While the search is still on for villagers buried by the massive landslide in the southern highlands of PNG questions are now being asked about its causes.

The disaster struck near the Tumbi quarry of the giant ExxonMobil liquefied natural gas project near Hides last week.

According to initial reports, the whole side of a mountain collapsed, covering an area stretching about 2km and 500m wide.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC

29 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
US Embassy Donates $50,000 to Disaster Relief

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US Department of State

U.S. Ambassador Teddy Taylor presents the finalized paperwork for a US$50,000 donation to Ms. Esmie Freda Sinapa, secretary general of the PNG Red Cross Society, at the Red Cross Headquarters in Port Moresby January 30. The money will be used to fund relief efforts in a number or provinces, including West Sepik, Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, Jiwaka, Enga, Morobe, Central and Oro. Heavy rains have caused a number of disasters throughout the country. The U.S. government also provided a similar amount of money in 2009 and 2010. The U.S.

27 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Experts to check cause of deadly PNG landslide

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Work has resumed at the Exxon Mobil Liquified Natural Gas site in Papua New Guinea, just a couple of day after a landslide devastated two nearby villages in the Southern Highlands killing at least four people.

But locals in Tari say the blasting from nearby quarries caused the landslide.

Presenter:Geraldine Coutts

Speaker:Francis Potape, PNG local member for Komo-Magarima

Listen: Windows Media

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC

27 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Red Cross sends team to support disasters in Papua New Guinea

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New Zealand Red Cross

Two New Zealand Red Cross aid workers will be leaving for Papua New Guinea tomorrow (Saturday 28 January) to support the local Red Cross in helping those affected by a massive landslide and on-going floods.

Dozens of people have been killed, with many more still missing after a massive landslide wiped out entire villages in the country’s Southern Highlands on Tuesday as people slept.

Other areas of Papua New Guinea have been suffering from wide spread and on-going floods.

27 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Rain hinders PNG landslide rescue effort

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

By PNG correspondent Liam Fox

Updated January 26, 2012 08:32:54

Video: Dozens feared dead in PNG landslide (7pm TV News NSW)

Wet weather is hampering rescue efforts at the site of a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea where up to 50 people are feared to have been killed.

The village of Tumbi near Tari in the country's Southern Highlands is now a mess of millions of cubic metres of rock and soil after Tuesday's disaster.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC

26 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Total devastation at PNG landslide site

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Still in Papua New Guinea, government agencies and non-government organisations are now moving to provide assistance to victims of the disaster in PNG's Southern Highlands Province.

Dozens of people are feared killed in a massive landslide which hit villages near the ExxonMobil-led LNG project early on Tuesday.

The ABC's PNG Correspondent has been to there to the site and he says the landslide area is a scene of utter devastation.

Presenter: Bruce Hill

Speaker: ABC's PNG Correspondent, Liam Fox

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC

26 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
PNG NGOs swing into action to help landslide victims

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Updated January 26, 2012 17:52:24

The Red Cross, Oxfam, World Vision and United Nations agencies are swinging into action to help people affected by Tuesday's massive landslide in Papua New Guinea.

A joint NGO assessment team is on its way to the landslide site, which is in the PNG highlands near to the ExxonMobil's liquid natural gas project at Hides.

World Vision was among the first to get one of their staff to the highlands.

World Vision's Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Manager says conditions are difficult.

Presenter: Jemima Garrett

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC

26 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Preparations underway for recovery of landslide bodies

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Updated January 26, 2012 11:19:03

Emergency authorities in Papua New Guinea face the difficult task of moving the side of a mountain that crashed into a valley near Tari in the Southern Highlands.

It is impossible to estimate the number of lives claimed by Tuesday morning's landslide.

Continuing wet weather is also likely to hamper search and rescue efforts.

Presenter:Sen Lam

Speaker:Andrew Alphonse, senior reporter, PNG Post Courier

Listen: Windows Media

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC

26 Jan 2012
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Papua New Guinea
Call for PNG landslide help

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

PNG correspondent Liam Fox and staff

A former Papua New Guinea MP says the landslide in Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands is of a magnitude the nation hasn't seen before.

Sir Alfred Kaiabe says those displaced by the disaster will need food, emergency supplies and tents.

He told Radio Australia the PNG Government and overseas nations hopefully will provide funds for the people living in the area to be relocated.

He said there has been mass destruction caused by the landslide.

Quarry blamed

Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

© ABC