Papua New Guinea landslide buries over 2,000 people, requests international assistance

Papua New Guinea has officially asked the United Nations for help, as it reports that the landslide last week has buried over 2,000 people alive. 

It is currently estimated that Friday's landslide has killed over 670 people.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the acting director of the country’s National Disaster Center, Luseta Laso Mana, wrote to the U.N. that more than 2,000 people have been buried alive and there has been great destruction to the Yambali village.

There have been different estimates of casualties and as of now, the International Organization for Migration has not changed its estimate of 670 deaths.

Local reports say that as of Monday the remains of only five individuals have been recovered, according to the AP.

U.N. agency head Serhan Aktoprak said the current death toll was based on calculations by local officials who said that more than 150 homes had been buried during the landslide on Friday. The previous estimate had been 60 homes.