SYDNEY (Reuters) – More than 670 people are believed to have died in a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea, the United Nations migration agency estimated on Sunday, as relief operations continue.
Media reports previously put the number of people buried in the disaster that struck this South Pacific country, north of Australia, at more than 300.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), only five bodies have been found.
The agency based its estimate of the death toll on information from local authorities, according to which more than 150 houses were buried. The landslide hit more than six villages in total.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted a message of compassion on X and offered France’s help.
“France stands ready to contribute to relief and reconstruction efforts,” wrote the head of state, who visited Papua New Guinea in July 2023.
(Sam McKeith, Gilles Guillaume and Elizabeth Pineau for the French version)
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