Papua New Guinea Landslide Kills 670 People, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Makes Sure Not Indonesian Citizens Become Victims

Illustration of heavy equipment cleaning landslide material that closes roads. (Antaranews)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) has ensured that no Indonesian citizens (WNI) have been victims of landslides in Papua New Guinea.

"The Indonesian Embassy in Port Moresby has coordinated with local authorities and the Indonesian citizen community. So far, there is no information on the victims of Indonesian citizens in the disaster," said the Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens and BHI of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Judha Nugraha via text message, Sunday, May 26, quoted by Antara.

Judha stated that the Indonesian Embassy would continue to monitor the situation in the field after the disaster.

The Indonesian Embassy in Port Moresby's hotline can be contacted via telephone number [phone].

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that the death toll from landslides in Papua New Guinea will increase to 670.

The IOM Mission Head in Papua New Guinea, Serhan Aktoprak, said that the revision of the death toll was based on a tally by Yambali Village officials and Enga Province that more than 150 houses were buried by landslides, while initially there were 60 affected houses.

Local officials initially said the death toll on Friday, May 24, was 100 people or more.

Only five bodies and one leg of the sixth victim were found on Sunday, while seven people, including a child, had undergone medical treatment.