SYDNEY: Cyclone Maila has triggered severe flooding and landslides in Papua New Guinea, killing at least 11 people, with the autonomous region of Bougainville among the worst affected, officials and local media said on Monday (April 13).
Entire villages were destroyed in the storm, which hit coastal areas with full force. Eight people died in a night-time landslide when a house was buried under mud, according to the Post Courier newspaper, citing authorities.
Papua New Guinea's public broadcaster NBC reported initial estimates put more than 10,000 people affected and nearly 20,000 in need of immediate assistance across Bougainville.
Residents told Australian broadcaster ABC that several of the dead were children, including two pregnant women.
The disaster occurred on Thursday, but has only now been reported due to communication difficulties.
Many residents have been left homeless, while roads and bridges have been destroyed, disrupting food supplies. Schools are expected to remain closed for the week.
Prime Minister James Marape said it remained difficult to reach remote communities with reports of damage still coming in.
"We will make sure we reach every place, every island, and every community that has been affected," he said, adding that aid deliveries including food, drinking water and emergency shelter had been organised.
Neighbouring Solomon Islands were also hit by the storm, with remote island regions suffering significant damage.
Australia pledged financial assistance to both countries, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong saying Australia stood "shoulder to shoulder" with its neighbours.
Maila passed through the Solomon Sea with wind gusts of nearly 300 kilometres per hour and was briefly classified as a Category 5 cyclone before weakening. - dpa
