Enga landslip claims 21 lives as survivors warn of mounting risks

(Image: International Office of Migration)

At least 21 people, including an expectant mother and her unborn child, were killed early Thursday morning when a massive landslip struck Kukas Village in the Palyamun clan area of Wapenamanda District, Enga Province.

The disaster occurred around 2 a.m., burying a family home where 27 people were sleeping. Only seven survived, pulled from the mud and debris by villagers who responded to desperate cries in the dark. Among the survivors was Michael Mana, who lost his mother and several relatives in the tragedy.

“My mother warned me that night,” Michael told NBC News, his voice breaking. “She said the rain was too heavy and the mountain could come down. I didn’t listen. Around 2 a.m., everything collapsed.”

Survivors Mana Kowe (L) and Michael Mana (R) (NBC News)

Michael was trapped for nearly half an hour before crawling his way out. In the chaos, he managed to free another person right beside him, his father, Mana Kowe, who sustained a broken collarbone and a dislocated back. Michael himself suffered neck injuries.

All seven survivors are recovering, though three remain in critical condition at Wabag General Hospital, according to provincial health authorities.

19 of the victims were from the Yambalikin tribe in the Lower Lai area. They had travelled to Kukas Village to attend a funeral and had been unable to return home due to tribal fighting that had shut down parts of Mambisanda Immanuel Lutheran Hospital and nearby roads.

Two other victims were from Kukas Village itself, belonging to the Palyamun clan of the Yarapaik tribe.

The International Organization for Migration [IOM] confirmed that the landslide affected at least 45 people and warned that the area remains 'at high risk' of further landslips due to unstable terrain and continuous rainfall.

IOM has strongly recommended the relocation of residents from high-risk zones to prevent another tragedy, requiring immediate action and community cooperation.

Emergency relief is being coordinated by the Enga Provincial Government and the Provincial Health Authority, with humanitarian support from national agencies and partners.

This is the second major landslide to devastate Enga Province in the past two years. In May 2024, a massive slide in Mulitaka buried an entire village, claiming 163 lives. The recurrence of such disasters has raised urgent questions about early-warning systems, community preparedness, and government response to environmental hazards intensified by heavy rainfall and deforestation.

For Michael and the few who survived in Kukas, recovery will take far longer than the physical wounds suggest.

“We lost everything,” he said quietly, standing amid the mud and twisted remains of his family’s home. “Our people came here for a funeral and now we’ll have to bury them too.”