A Royal Australian Air Force Hercules transport plane landed at Moro Airport in Papua New Guinea’s Southern Highlands Province on March 3 to deliver medical aid following a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on February 26.
At least 14 people were confirmed dead, but the true scale of the earthquake took days to become clear. Landslides cut off roads and knocked out communication to remote communities in Southern Highlands and Highlands provinces.
“A number of urban settlements, as well as villages, have been affected. Many in the form of landslides and landslips, which means that roads have been cut off, water contaminated, power knocked out and other widespread effects for the local people," the Australian High Commission’s humanitarian duty officer for Papua New Guinea Darian Clark said in a statement.
“This is the first round of humanitarian relief supplies to be provided to the affected area and we understand there is a desperate need for the items we’re taking up. So I think the priority of what we are doing cannot be understated," said Clark. Credit: Defence Australia via Storyful
