Aftermath of the 3am landslide in Papua New Guinea is believed to have trapped 670 individuals, the BBC has reported.

The landslide happened on Friday May 24 when most people were sleeping.

Serhan Aktoprak, the head of the International Organization for Migration in Papua New Guinea, stated that the consequences of Friday’s landslide in the isolated Enga province of the country were more significant than originally anticipated.

“There are an estimated 150-plus houses now buried,” Mr. Aktoprak said.

He added that the impacted regions are located in the highlands of Enga, situated in the northern part of the Island nation in the southwest Pacific.

Meanwhile, the official highlighted the danger faced by rescuers due to the ongoing movement of the land.

“The water is running and this is creating a massive risk for everyone involved,” he said.

Mr. Aktoprak mentioned that nearly 4,000 individuals reside in the region impacted by the landslide. Care Australia cautioned that the actual number affected might be higher due to people fleeing tribal conflicts in nearby areas.

Over 1,000 people have been displaced, and the disaster has devastated gardens that provided food and water supplies.

Mr. Aktoprak mentioned that rescuers are employing various tools like digging sticks, spades, and large agricultural forks to extract the bodies buried under the soil.

Similarly a flood and a landslide have hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killing at least 14 people, according to officials.

The landslide hit Luwu regency in South Sulawesi on Friday just after 1am local time, Abdul Muhari, spokesperson of Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB), said in a statement.