MORE than 2,000 people are believed to have been buried alive by Friday’s landslide in Papua New Guinea, a government official has told the United Nations, while formally asking for international help.

The government figure is roughly triple the UN estimate of 670 killed by the landslide in the mountainous interior. The remains of only five people had been recovered so far.

In a letter to the UN resident co-ordinator dated Sunday, National Disaster Centre acting director Luseta Laso Mana said the landslide had “buried more than 2,000 people alive” and caused “major destruction” in the village of Yambali in Enga province.