At Least 14 Dead In Papua New Guinea After Strong Quake Sets Off Mudslides

At least 14 people were reported dead after landslides triggered by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in the remote central highlands of Papua New Guinea.

The quake struck early Monday morning local time near Porgera, about 350 miles northwest of the capital, Port Moresby, and has been followed by numerous aftershocks.

Reuters reports that it "damaged mining and power infrastructure and led ExxonMobil Corp to shut its $19 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, the country's biggest export earner.

"Two buildings collapsed and along with a landslide killed 12 people in Mendi, the provincial capital of the Southern Highlands, said Julie Sakol, a nurse at Mendi General Hospital, where the bodies were brought to the morgue."

According to The Associated Press there was "severe damage" to phone networks and roads, disruptions that have made it difficult or impossible to fully assess the situation.

"Hela Provincial Administrator William Bando told [the AP] that phone networks were out, power lines were down and roads were blocked by landslides. He said the quake was a disaster on a scale he hasn't experienced before.

'There are massive, massive disruptions,' Bando said."

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