Earthquake in Kainantu: 7 dead confirmed, communications still down

It remains difficult to verify damage to buildings and people after the 11 September quake. First assessment and verification missions started yesterday. In the archdiocese of Madang, the roof of the cathedral and the university, where about ten students were injured, were damaged.

Port Moresby (AsiaNews) - The death toll stands at 7 dead and 24 injured after the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea on September 11. According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake occurred at a depth of 61 km and about 67 km away from the city of Kainantu, in the east of the country. 

At least two people were killed in remote villages, while four people were taken to hospital by helicopter in critical situations. In a mine in Wau, three miners were buried alive. Other landslides were reported in the towns of Bulolo and Boana. In the town of Madang, at least 389 houses collapsed, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, but the gathering of information on the extent of the damage was hampered by the breakdown of communications. No reports had yet arrived from the districts closest to the epicentre yesterday when assessment missions to the affected areas began.

"Roads, houses and infrastructure were damaged. Many areas are still to be checked because the earthquake hit a rather remote and mountainous area, characterised by deep valleys and gorges,' explain AsiaNews sources. The areas where PIME works in Papua New Guinea were not affected, but even in the archdiocese of Madang the tremor "was felt a lot. The ceiling of the cathedral was damaged in a couple of places. A good number of shops were also damaged. Water and electricity have not been available in the city for two days,' the local sources added.

Papua New Guineans took to social media to share pictures and videos of cracked streets and objects falling off supermarket shelves. One clip showed the damage suffered by Goroka University, where a dozen students were injured by falling debris.

Papua New Guinea is prone to earthquakes and tsunamis, being located on the so-called 'Ring of Fire' of the Pacific Ocean, a major friction point between two tectonic plates. In 2018, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake had killed more than 100 people and damaged thousands of homes.