Papua New Guinea halts landslide recovery efforts amid further risk

The bodies of hundreds of villagers feared buried in Papua New Guinea landslide will not be recovered, the military said, describing recovery operations as "too dangerous".

"All efforts to recover bodies have been called off because of the danger," Major Joe Aku said on Wednesday, citing the risk of further landslides. "Recovery is non-negotiable at this stage," he said, dashing survivors' hopes of recovering loved ones.

Aku — one of the leading military officers overseeing the site — declared the highland disaster area a "no-go zone".

It will be cordoned off to the community and authorities until further notice.

Papua New Guinea's government estimates 2,000 people may have been buried in a 600 metre-long (2,000 feet) mountain of soil and boulders that engulfed a remote community in Enga province.

Aku said the toll could be closer to 650. Make-shift recovery efforts unearthed just nine bodies, according to local health authorities.

With the recovery effort now called off, the true toll of the disaster will likely never be known. "It is too dangerous to be on-site at this stage. This is the worst and biggest landslide I have seen," he said.

Papua New Guinea is one of the world's most disaster-prone regions and landslides are extremely common in its highlands.

But the estimated 7,849 villagers near Mount Mungalo, in central Papua New Guinea were not prepared for the landslide that buried families and their homes in the early hours of May 24.

Further risk of landslides

An internal report by Papua New Guinea's mining and geohazards department warned there was a "high likelihood of further landslides" at the site "in the immediate future".

The report warned the recovery efforts could provoke another landslide, and the relocation of villagers should be "non-negotiable".

In particular, there was concern that the use of recently arrived heavy machinery could topple boulders perched above.

"Movement or vibration from the machinery will set these boulders into motion," the report warned.

Surrounding communities have been evacuated due to the risk, with many taking refuge in nearby "care centres", Aku said.

They are relying on the aid from agencies or partner countries to survive.

Although aid efforts were severely hampered by the site's remote location, nearby tribal violence and landslide damage that has severed major road links.

Aku added discussions were underway with the community and local authorities about a possible memorial for those "buried under the rubble".