The death toll from a major earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea last month has risen to 125, police said today, amid concern that an outbreak of disease will see it jump further.
A 7.5-magnitude quake struck the Pacific nation's mountainous interior on February 26, burying homes and causing landslides, making it hard to reach isolated villages.
Police said the toll had now reached 125, up from 100 last week, as more news filtered in from remote communities.
"From the reports received at the command centres, 45 have died so far in the Southern Highlands and in Hela province 80 people are confirmed dead," the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary said in a statement.
"It is expected that the figure might increase once all people have been accounted for."
"For example, from one of the areas that health officers recently visited, 80 people came in with injuries caused by the earthquake, while more than 100 came in to be treated for food-borne and water-borne diseases."