Body recovery effort called off at Papua New Guinea landslide site [Video]

Hundreds of villagers feared buried in Papua New Guinea landslide will not be recovered, the military told AFP Wednesday, describing the disaster zone as “too dangerous” to operate in.

“All efforts to recover bodies have been called off because of the danger” of further landslides, Major Joe Aku said. “Recovery is non-negotiable at this stage.”

Aku — one of the leading military officers overseeing the site — declared the highland area a “no-go zone” that will be cordoned off to the community and authorities until further notice.

“It is too dangerous to be on-site at this stage. This is the worst and biggest landslide I have seen,” he said.

Papua New Guinea is one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions and landslides are extremely common in its highlands.

Initial Papua New Guinea government estimates said as many as 2,000 people may have been buried in the May 24 slide, although …