Hơn 670 người thiệt mạng trong vụ lở đất ở Papua New Guinea

On Sunday, the United Nations said that the death toll from an earthquake in the village of Kao Kalam in Papua New Guinea had increased to more than 670 people. Previously, an earthquake occurred in the rural area of ​​this island at around 3 a.m. on Friday local time, when many villagers were sleeping. However, search and rescue efforts have been hindered due to the location of the accident, which is difficult to access, and the danger due to the continuous earthquake has greatly affected the rescue work. Media in the South Pacific country previously estimated that the earthquake on Friday shook more than 300 people in the village of Kao Kalam in the town of Port Gra of the province of Enga, about 600 km northwest of the capital Port Moresby. This official also noted that the area around where the disaster occurred in the province of Enga was still very dangerous, with rocks falling and landslides continuously causing about 1,250 survivors to evacuate, and rescue work was also hindered. So far, only 5 bodies have been taken out of the rubble. According to local authorities, the area where the earthquake occurred has a large population and has a young population. The government is worried that in many cases, children under the age of 15 will die. Mr. Aktopak said that the ground was still slippery, the rocks were still falling, the ground was flooded by continuous pressure and the water was still flowing, causing the area to pose an extreme risk to everyone. According to Mr. Aktopak, the local government has guaranteed food and water for about 600 people, and a humanitarian convoy including local officials and members of the International Migration Organization arrived in the area on Sunday. A convoy of ambulances passed on Saturday afternoon to bring food and water, but no food. However, the dangerous conditions in the area have made distribution difficult. More than two days after the earthquake, local people are still trying to find their loved ones by means of umbrellas and other basic tools. A video posted on the social network by the villagers and local media outlets shows that people are walking through the rocks, trees and piles of land to find survivors. According to Reuters, the government and the technical team of the Papua New Guinea defense force are currently present at the scene, but heavy equipment such as ambulances necessary for rescue operations has not yet arrived in the village. The United Nations said that local residents may not have been allowed to use ambulances until they considered their daily duty and sorrow completed. Prime Minister Jemarat of Papua New Guinea also sent condolences to the families of those killed in the earthquake. The Kae Australia aid group said on Saturday that there were nearly 4,000 people in the disaster area, but the number of people affected was probably even higher, because this area is a hiding place for those who have to flee due to conflicts in the surrounding areas. The area has witnessed clashes between the tribes over the past few months. In February, at least 26 people were killed in the province of Enga in a clash between the tribes, causing Prime Minister Jemarat to hand over custody to the country's military.