By David Rising
Updated
Papua New Guinea ordered thousands of residents to evacuate from the path of a still-active landslide on Tuesday after parts of a mountain collapsed burying at least 2000 people, according to government estimates.
Officials said the odds of finding survivors were slim, even as relief teams have trickled into the difficult-to-access northern Enga region since Friday.
Villagers search through a landslide in Yambali village, in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.Credit: AP
Heavy equipment and aid have been slow to arrive because of the treacherous terrain and tribal unrest in the remote area, forcing the military to escort convoys of relief teams. Residents have been using shovels and their bare hands to search for survivors.
“The landslide area is very unstable. When we’re up there, we’re regularly …