Papua New Guinea fears thousands missingafter landslide | BBC News

There are fears the number of missing following adeadly landslide in Papua New Guinea could stretchinto the thousands, a government agency has said.

The acting director of the nation's National DisasterCentre said in a letter it was feared more than 2,000people were buried alive in Friday's disaster.

However, an exact casualty figure has been hard toestablish and estimates have varied widely, as rescueefforts have been hindered by rubble 10m deep insome places and a lack ọf adequate equipment.

Fewer than a dozen bodies have been recovered sofar, while the United Nations put the figure of the missing at 670.

The collapse of a mountain side early Friday morningwiped out a bustling village in Enga province, whereabout 3,800 people had been living.