The testimony of the local Catholic community from the area of Enga province hit by the mountain landslide a week ago. The death toll may be less than the 2,000 reported, but there are still villages wiped out in an area of 200 square kilometres and hundreds of families who have lost everything in hard-to-reach areas. ‘We thank those who are close to us in prayer’.
More than 2,000 people may have been buried by the huge landslide that hit the village of Yambali, while a UN agency speaks of 670 dead. The presence of conflict between local tribal groups makes aid operations more difficult. Food and psychological support are needed. AsiaNews sources: "there are Lutheran and Adventist churches" in the area, while "there are few Catholics".
Today's headlines: WFP says floods in Afghanistan have exacerbated the country’s hunger crisis. Over 300 people are killed and 1,182 houses buried in a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea. Tens of thousands of people take to the streets in Taiwan against pro-Chinese reforms currently before parliament. Laos fails to stop human trafficking, especially of young people.
According to some local sources, over a hundred have died, but the authorities have not yet released any official figure. The incident took place in a remote area, which hinders rescue operations. The causes are unknown, but experts rule out heavy rain or earthquakes. Gold mining in the area is one possible factor
The French president landed today in the capital Nouméa and hinted that the state of emergency could be lifted after the deployment of 3,000 police. The tensions between loyalists and separatists are intertwined with the crisis of the nickel industry in which indigenous Kanaks are most of the workforce.
The special summit between Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ended today. All countries in the region have very close economic ties with China and do not want to be dragged into the geopolitical dispute between China and the United States. However, Chinese provocations in disputed waters continue, with yet another clash involving Philippine ships.
