More than 2,000 people were buried alive by the massive landslide in Papua New Guinea last week, the national disaster center said today, amid an increasing risk of only finding a few survivors due to the treacherous terrain and the difficulty of getting aid.

Local authorities have been providing estimates on the numbers of those buried around Yambali village in Enga province, in Papua New Guinea's north, with the toll continuously increasing since the landslide on May 24. 

In a letter to the UN on May 25 and released publicly today, the National Disaster Center revised the toll again to more than 2,000, adding that major destruction to buildings and food gardens had been caused by the landslide. 

"The situation remains unstable as the landslip continues to shift slowly, posing an ongoing danger to both the rescue teams and survivors alike," the letter said. 

Relief efforts hindered 

Social media footage posted by villagers and local media shows people climbing over rocks, uprooted trees, and mounds of dirt in search of survivors, with women weeping in the background.

⚠️🇵🇬Massive earthquake, strikes Papua New Guinea
Large landslide killed at least 100 the major road going in is completely unpassable. Australia 🇦🇺is looking to send helicopters in to help the search and rescue. pic.twitter.com/trHTeolDcq

— Todd Paron🇺🇸🇬🇷🎧👽 (@tparon) May 26, 2024

The UN migration agency in PNG said that residents and the rescue team are exposed to extreme danger while removing the debris, due to the continued water flow beneath them.

The chief of the agency, Serhan Aktoprak, told ABC television that emergency crews will proceed with their search for survivors until the residents ask them to stop adding that the team has eight vehicles but hopes to get additional resources soon. 

According to a UN official, the first excavator from the emergency crews led by Papua New Guinea's defense personnel only reached the site late on May 26, even though they were on the ground. 

The country's media reported today that residents had rescued a couple trapped under rubble after hearing their cries for help. 

CARE Australia reported that nearly 4,000 people lived in the impact zone, but the actual number affected could be higher, as the area is a refuge for those displaced by nearby conflicts.

Residents believed that the landslide might have been induced by the heavy rainfall that had soaked the area over the past few weeks