More than 2000 people were buried! Landslides hit the coffee industry in Papua New Guinea

Recently, Papua New Guinea, located in Oceania, has suffered a series of disasters and suffered serious losses. According to media reports, a serious landslide occurred in the Mulitaka area of Nga Province in northern Papua New Guinea on the 24th, killing more than 2000 people and exceeding 670 people.

It is understood that before this serious large-scale landslide, the local area has experienced continuous rainfall since March. According to meteorological monitoring by the World Meteorological Center, during the period from May 20 to 24, the cumulative rainfall in the disaster-stricken area was 10 to 40 millimeters, while 70 millimeters in the northwest.

Excessive rain loosened the soil, which eventually led to this serious landslide accident. According to statistics, there were 3895 villagers in the village where the accident occurred, and the area affected by the landslide was equivalent to 3 to 4 football fields. And because the landslide occurred in the early morning, it was quite sudden, causing serious damage.

In addition, this disaster also affected the coffee-producing areas of Papua New Guinea. The landslide area was Mount Hagen in Enga Province, which is close to the Western Highlands Province, the main coffee-producing area of Papua New Guinea. In this coffee region, coffee is mainly grown in the Wahgi Valley in Mount Hagen.

Satellite comparison map of landslide areas

However, as more than 2000 people are still buried in mud and the government is making every effort to search and rescue, there has been no official report on the damage to agricultural land.

According to the forecast of the World Meteorological Center, in the coming week, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea will still have rainy weather, with cumulative rainfall of 30 to 50 mm, local rainfall reaching 50-80 mm, and light to moderate rain. In addition, local reports said that the landslide is still moving slowly or has affected more villages.

Therefore, in order to avoid and prevent the continued heavy rain, further deterioration of the disaster, and the possibility of landslides occurring again, the local government is organizing the emergency evacuation of about 7900 people in nearby areas and areas.

Currently, it is in the harvest period of coffee in Papua New Guinea. After the evacuation of people from the area, the coffee cherries in the estate will fall into a situation where no one is harvested, which will eventually affect the coffee harvest in the area. The production will decrease.

Prior to this, at least 15 landslides have occurred in Papua New Guinea. In addition, Chimbu Province, the main coffee-producing area in the central region, was hit by a serious landslide, killing at least 21 people and damaging many farmland. However, there is also good news for Papua New Guinea. Some countries have sent rescue groups to Papua New Guinea to assist in rescue operations.