A devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea has prompted the government to formally request international assistance, as the estimated death toll becomes a subject of discrepancy. According to a government official, over 2,000 people were believed to have been buried alive in the landslide that occurred in the remote Yambali village of Enga province. This number is roughly triple the United Nations' estimate of 670 casualties.

The National Disaster Center's acting director, Luseta Laso Mana, wrote a letter to the United Nations resident coordinator, describing the landslide as causing "major destruction" and claiming the lives of more than 2,000 people. However, it remains unclear how officials arrived at this figure. The International Organization for Migration, which is leading the international response to the disaster, has not revised its initial estimate of 670 deaths, pending new evidence.

The initial death toll was based on calculations by Yambali village and Enga provincial officials, who reported that over 150 homes had been buried. This number is significantly higher than the previous estimate of 60 homes. As the situation unfolds, it is expected that the casualty figures will continue to fluctuate.

Determining the true scale of the disaster has proved challenging due to various factors. The remote location of the village, lack of telecommunications, and ongoing tribal warfare in the province have hindered communication and access for relief workers. Additionally, the national government's lack of reliable census data has added to the difficulty of assessing the potential number of casualties.

The landslide also caused significant damage to the province's main highway, burying a 650-foot stretch under debris that is 20 to 26 feet deep. This obstruction poses a major obstacle for relief efforts. The government official emphasized that the landslide will have a significant economic impact on the entire country.

In response to the crisis, an excavator donated by a local builder has been deployed to assist villagers in searching for bodies. However, the treacherous conditions and shifting debris continue to pose risks for both rescue teams and survivors. Papua New Guinea's defense minister, Billy Joseph, joined Mana on a visit to Yambali to assess the situation firsthand and determine the need for further international support.

As Papua New Guinea grapples with the aftermath of this tragic event, the government is working towards providing emergency supplies to the 4,000 displaced survivors. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to transport earth-moving equipment from the military to the disaster scene, located 250 miles from the city of Lae on the east coast.

Traumatized villagers are divided on the use of heavy machinery to unearth the buried bodies of their relatives, as they fear additional damage. The government is expected to release more information regarding the scale of the destruction and loss of life as it becomes available.

The international community stands ready to assist Papua New Guinea as it navigates this crisis, with relief efforts hampered by the challenging circumstances on the ground.