Tambul Nebilyer landslip claims four young lives

A devastating landslip in the Tambul Nebilyer District of Western Highlands Province claimed the lives of four children late Friday night.

The tragedy occurred at around 10 p.m. when a section of the mountainside collapsed onto a kunai-thatched family home, where the four children were asleep with their mother and another sibling.

Continuous heavy rainfall experienced in the region in recent weeks is believed to have triggered the landslip.

The four children, aged 12, seven, five, and a two-month-old baby, were killed in the incident. The landslip also injured the children's mother and another sibling.

This happened in the Kulumindi community of the Upper Kagul constituency in the Tambul Nebilyer District.

One of the survivors said the landslip has destroyed their lives and left them with nothing.

Lisbon Mini the deceased children's uncle said a similar incident had happened some years back but with no casualties compared to this one.

Kulumindi Community leader Mark Talupa said that the cause of the landslip was due to the continuous heavy rainfall over the past few days.

The four children are survived by the mother, another injured sibling, and their father, who was away in Jiwaka Province attending a church event when the disaster claimed the lives of his children.

Meanwhile, the provincial disaster office in Mt Hagen has deployed officers to assess the site, identify immediate needs, and determine what further support is required for the grieving family and surrounding community.

Authorities are urging residents living near rivers and unstable slopes to take precautions, as persistent rain continues to pose a high risk of landslips and flooding across the district.