Call for independent probe into landslide

RADIO NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL

LNG WATCH, a Papua New Guinea NGO, has called for an independent investigation into the cause of Tuesday’s huge landslide in Southern Highlands Province.

Reports from the affected area, between Nogoli and Hides, say the number of people buried could be as high as 60.

The landslide occurred within the parameters of Exxon Mobil’s liquefied natural gas project site.

Many locals are blaming the multi-billion dollar project for the landslide, saying a nearby quarry used for the project involved explosives which unsettled the earth.

Stanley Mamu of LNG Watch says it needs to be independently established whether the project increased the risk of the landslide.

“Mount Gigira, it’s a kind of a range; people are sleeping along that place all the way to Hides 1, 2 3 and 4 and then down to Komo,” he said.

“So that thing (the landslide) might happen again. So to stop that incident happening in the future, I want these people to come in and do the investigation.”

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This story first appeared on Radio New Zealand International. Thanks.