Recent fatal landslides in Papua New Guinea – GWC Mag

The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides.

Landslides are a significant hazard in Papua New Guinea, resulting from the combination of the tropical climate; a deeply weathered, hilly landscape; seismic activity and human disturbance. However, the country remains comparatively isolated from a media perspective, meaning that news of landslide accidents tend to fly under the radar.

In the news today is a very good example. A news search for landslides on Google for the last 24 hours turns up numerous stories about a landslide in Bali, which killed two people, one from Australia and the other from the Netherlands. This is a tragic event that was triggered by heavy rainfall.

However, in Papua New Guinea rainfall, heavy rainfall has triggered at least three substantial landslides, killing at least 21 people on 13 March 2024. The most sigifnicant event appears to have occurred at Sikola in Gumini district of Chimbu Province. The Post-Courier in Papua New Guinea has this landslide as their front page news story:

This appears to be a channelised flow from the upper portion of the slope that has mobilised a large body of colluvium near to the river. On Google Earth, Sikola appears to be located at [-6.0892, 144.9328], but this is unconfirmed as the correct location.

There were at least two other major landslides. One of these appears to have occurred at Dinipene village, which I think is in Mitnande Census Division, Gembogl District. This is in the area of [-5.8602, 145.0945], but the exact location is not pinned down. Reports indicate that this landslide killed three people.

The third, which is a little more elusive, may have killed up to ten people. Reports indicate that this occurred at Bonglkane in Nilkande LLG, Kundiawa-Gembogl. Nilkande is located at [-5.9469, 145.0284], but again this is not a precise location for the failure itself. This landslide seems most likely to have claimed seven lives, but it is not currently clear.

Meanwhile, there have been many other landslides, fortunately not causing loss of life. For example, The National reports 12 landslides along the main highway between Gumine and Kundiawa, which appears to be the main north-south orientated road in the Google Earth image below:-

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