India ready to offer all possible support: PM Modi on Papua New Guinea landslide tragedy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pic/PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over the loss of lives and damage wreaked by a devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea.

He further extended support for Papua New Guinea landslide tragedy and emphasised that India is ready to offer all possible assistance.

"Deeply saddened by the loss of lives and damage caused by the devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea. Our heartfelt condolences to the affected families and prayers for speedy recovery of the injured. India is ready to offer all possible support and assistance," the prime minister posted on X.

The landslide occurred in the mountainous Enga region in northern Papua New Guinea on Friday last week and the latest figure is a sharp rise from earlier estimates.

Moreover, around 2,000 people are feared to have been buried by the Papua New Guinea landslide tragedy.

According to the Papua New Guinea government, more than 2,000 people are believed to have been buried alive in a landslide in the South Pacific island nation, after the side of a mountain came down in the early hours of Friday morning when the village of Yambali was asleep.

The settlement is located in a restive and remote area in the interior of the poor, rural nation off the northern coast of Australia, making search and rescue efforts complicated and hazardous.

"The landslide buried more than 2000 people alive, caused major destruction to buildings, and food gardens, and caused a major impact on the economic lifeline of the country," Lusete Laso Mana, Acting Director of the National Disaster Centre, said in a letter to the UN.

"The situation remains unstable as the landslip continues to shift slowly, posing an ongoing danger to both rescue teams and survivors alike," he said.

(With inputs from Agencies)