Tribal disputes have also increased post-disaster security risks.
Ruth Kissam, a community organizer in Enga province, said giant rocks fell from one tribe’s land into a residential village occupied by another tribe.
“There will be tension,” he said. “There is already tension.”
Even before the disaster, the region had been experiencing tribal clashes that led people to flee surrounding villages, with many ending up concentrated in the community buried by the landslide. In September last year, much of Enga was under government lockdown and curfew, with no flights in or out.
Now, as the search for the living and dead continues, the anger and violence have intensified.
On Saturday morning, a dispute broke out between two clans, leaving people dead and dozens of houses burned, said Seran Aktoprak, head of mission for the International Organization for Migration office in Papua New Guinea. He added that the threat of violence makes it difficult to deliver aid.
Papua New Guinea officials also stressed the need for calm.
“Upon inspection by the team, it was determined that the damage is extensive and requires immediate and collaborative actions by all players,” the letter from government officials who visited the site said.
The landslide hit the town around 3 a.m. Friday, when many residents were sleeping. Some of the rocks that buried homes and cut off a major highway were larger than shipping containers. Even in a region with severe storms and frequent earthquakes, the landslide has sparked intense expressions of grief at home and abroad, including at the White House.
“Jill and I are heartbroken by the loss of life and devastation caused by the landslide in Papua New Guinea,” President Biden said in a statement after the disaster. “Our prayers are with all the families affected by this tragedy and with all the first responders who are putting themselves in harm’s way to help their fellow citizens.”
Christopher Cottrell contributed reporting.