Australia dispatches aid to Papua New Guinea

Rescue efforts are in full swing in Papua New Guinea as authorities race against time to find 2,000 missing individuals following devastating landslides in Enga province. The affected residents are tirelessly using shovels, sticks, and their bare hands to search for survivors and victims amidst the rubble.

The landslides, which occurred early Friday morning, have left a trail of destruction in residential areas, burying homes, infrastructure, and farmland under as much as eight meters of soil and debris. This calamity has been labeled as one of the deadliest in the country's recent memory.

In a show of solidarity, Australia has dispatched two aircraft loaded with emergency supplies and a team of 16 disaster relief experts to aid in the rescue mission. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has emphasized the catastrophic consequences of the landslides, with thousands of individuals losing their homes and belongings in an instant.

According to Serhan Aktoprak, the IOM chief of mission in Papua New Guinea, more than 150 houses were swallowed by the landslides in Yambali village alone. The sheer magnitude of this tragedy is deeply distressing, with communities now grappling with enormous challenges in the aftermath of this natural disaster.

The ongoing rescue operations in Papua New Guinea following the catastrophic landslides in Enga province highlight the resilience and unity of communities in times of crisis. As the search for missing individuals continues and aid pours in from neighboring countries, the spirit of solidarity shines through amidst the devastation. It is a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness and international cooperation in the face of natural disasters.