OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Papua New Guinea - Landslide
10 April 2002


This report is based on information provided by the Papua New Guinea (PNG)
National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), through the OCHA Regional
Disaster Response Advisor (RDRA) for the Pacific, based in Suva, Fiji, the
IFRC Information Bulletin, and local media reports.

Disaster Situation

1.  The landslide in the early hours of Tuesday, 2 April in the Wantoat
area of Markham District in Morobe Province, 79 km Northwest of Lae, is
now known to have killed 36 people, although only nine bodies have been
recovered.  Eleven people were injured, two of them seriously, and one was
airlifted to Lae for treatment.

2.  The landslide was probably caused by some weeks of heavy rain, though
an earthquake of 5.3 magnitude (Richter Scale) on Monday, 2 April at 1615
hours (local time) may have contributed to the instability of the slope.
The landslide covered about 1 sq. km and it struck two coffee plantation
hamlets 6km Northeast of Wantoat District Station, completely burying 12
houses.  The area is remote, inaccessible, and highly prone to landslides.
In 1988 the Kaiapit Landslide in the Markham area destroyed 3 villages
killing 74, and in 1996 another landslide killed 38 people.


National Response

3.  Surviving villagers immediately attempted to dig out those who were
buried and about 50 survivors were evacuated to higher ground.  Word of
the disaster reached the provincial authorities in Lae about 6 hours after
the event.  The road network was cut due to the heavy rain, but the
injured were evacuated by the helicopters that brought in the rescue
workers and officials from Morobe Province including the Governor, the
Provincial Administrator and the Disaster Coordinator.  On Thursday, 4
April they were joined on site by a team from the NDMO based in Port
Moresby.

4.  The villagers themselves are continuing to try to recover the
remaining bodies.  The Morobe Provincial Disaster Committee and the Lae
Branch of the PNG Red Cross Society have provided tarpaulins, blankets and
cooking utensils to the 138 survivors of the landslide.  The provincial
authorities are managing the immediate response, and the NDMO has stated
that the situation is under control.  However, the longer-term needs of
the affected people are still to be assessed.

5.  To date, neither the provincial authorities nor the national
government have made any declaration of a state of emergency for the area,
and they have not requested international assistance.


International Response

6.  OCHA's RDRA in Fiji stays in close contact with the NDMO and the
United Nations Resident Coordinator in Port Moresby.

7.  This is the last report concerning this disaster unless there are
unforeseen developments.

8.  This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int


Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
  Mr. R. Müller / Ms. M. Spaak / Ms. C. Cassabalian
  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 31 31 / 17 28 / 11 73

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
  (NYC)  Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32


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