Deadly landslide strikes Papua New Guinea

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A deadly landslide dumped tons of rock and dirt on two villages in a mountainous region of Papua New Guinea, burying dozens of people, authorities said.

China's official Xinhua news agency, quoting local media reports, said Wednesday at least 40 people were killed and another 20 were reported missing in the disaster that struck Tuesday morning while people slept in the island state's Southern Highlands.

Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted witnesses as saying the landslide spread destruction across more than a half mile down a mountainside near Tari. Estimates of the number of people buried in the rubble varied from a few dozen to more than 100.

It was not clear what caused the disaster.

Radio New Zealand reported the landslide struck in an area of liquefied natural gas fields.

Pacific.Scoop reported rescuers had recovered several bodies. It said initial reports indicated an entire side of nearby mountain had collapsed, cutting off some off the roads.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill was reported to have arrived at the scene and other Papua New Guinea officials were expected Wednesday to inspect the damage and set up relief operations.

Petroleum and Energy Minister Francis Potape was quoted as telling Radio Australia he feared there could be more landslides as the region remained unstable, ABC reported.

"There are people buried under the ground and a number of them are children," he was quoted as saying.