Great tragedy in Papua New Guinea
The National Disaster Center of Papua New Guinea has reported that more than 2,000 people have been buried due to a large avalanche that hit a remote town in the north of the country on Friday morning. The avalanche occurred near the Porgera gold mine, in the province of Enga, in the north of the country.
Difficulty in determining the exact number of victims
According to UN sources consulted by EFE, it is difficult to accurately determine the number of fatalities and missing due to the instability of the terrain and the difficult access to the area. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that there are at least 670 people buried under the avalanche. In addition, the avalanche has caused the displacement of around 1,000 people.
Economic impact and current situation
The avalanche has caused a great destruction of buildings and gardens, and has generated a strong impact on the country’s economy. The main access road to the Porgera mine is completely blocked. The situation remains unstable as there are still landslides and this poses a danger to rescue teams and survivors (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).
Geographical and seismic context of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity. This country often suffers from heavy rains, floods and landslides. Despite its wealth in natural resources, a large part of the population lives in extreme poverty and is isolated by the lack of communications and infrastructure, especially in remote areas like the one in the current disaster (https://www.softcatala.org/ summary-of-texts-in-catalan/).