Papua New Guinea earthquake: Five people killed and 1,000 homes damaged; Rescue efforts are underway

At least 1,000 homes were destroyed and five people killed when a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea, officials said on Monday (March 25). Relief crews and emergency officials face challenges as they carry out rescue efforts. The tragedy came on Sunday even though dozens of villages on the banks of the raging Sepik River were submerged, adding to the misery for residents.

“So far, about 1,000 homes have been lost,” East Sepik Governor Alan Baird said in a statement, adding that emergency crews were “still assessing the impact” of the quake that had “damaged most parts of the province.”

State Police Chief Christopher Tamari, speaking to Agence France-Presse, said that at least five people died in the strong earthquake.

Tamari added that the number of casualties was likely to rise as authorities searched among the wreckage and the remote, forested area.

Governor Baird said there is an urgent need to enhance supplies of medical materials, clean drinking water and temporary shelters in the disaster area.

To assist the research efforts, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea has approved an emergency funding package worth US$130 million. Prime Minister James Marape said the package would help recovery efforts following a “wave of natural disasters” across the country.

“Papua New Guinea was recently hit hard by the earthquake, flooding caused by torrential rains, ensuing landslides, tidal surges, strong winds and more,” he said in a statement on Sunday evening after the quake.

Papua New Guinea has been facing severe flooding for some time, with at least 23 people killed earlier this month alone in the inland highlands region.

Papua New Guinea is frequently exposed to earthquakes due to its location on the seismic “Ring of Fire,” a region characterized by intense tectonic activity extending into Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin.

While earthquakes usually do not result in significant damage in sparsely forested uplands, they often trigger devastating landslides.

Because many of the country's nine million citizens reside in rural areas far from urban centres, difficult terrain and limited infrastructure, including unsealed roads, often pose challenges to effective search and rescue operations.

(With inputs from agencies)

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