Massive landslide in Papua New Guinea buries village under earth, rescue efforts ongoing

In Papua New Guinea, more than 2,000 people were buried in a massive landslide that swept through a village, the government reported in a letter to the UN, according to a copy of the letter obtained by AFP.

"The landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused massive devastation," the country's national disaster center said in a letter to the United Nations (UN) office in the capital Port Moresby.

The village, located in Enga province, was nearly destroyed early Friday morning when part of Mount Mungalo collapsed, burying scores of houses and people sleeping in them, the disaster office said.

The landslide "caused massive destruction to buildings, food gardens and had a major impact on the country's economic lifeline," the disaster office said in a statement.

The letter received by UN officials said the main highway to Porgera Mine was "completely blocked".

"The situation remains precarious as the landslide continues to slide slowly, posing an ongoing danger to both rescue teams and survivors," the letter said.