At least 55 people have been confirmed dead and authorities fear the toll could exceed 100 from last week’s powerful earthquake in Papua New Guinea, as survivors faced more shaking from the strongest aftershock so far.
Southern Highlands governor William Powi said people were feeling traumatised from the disaster and ongoing aftershocks. The latest was a magnitude 6.7 quake that struck just after midnight local time, the strongest shake since last Monday’s deadly magnitude 7.5 quake that destroyed homes, triggered landslides and halted work at four oil and gas fields.
The central region where the quake struck is remote and undeveloped, and assessments about the scale of the damage and injuries have been slow to filter out. Powi said he did not know if the latest aftershock had caused more damage or injuries, but he said it had added to the distress people were feeling.
“It is beyond the capacity of the provincial government to cope with the magnitude of destruction and devastation,” Powi said. “Our people are traumatised and finding it difficult to cope.”
Source : theguardian
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