Mining companies Barrick Gold and Zijin Mining – joint venture partners in the Porgera mine – have jointly contributed $1-million to help communities in Papua New Guinea’s Enga province in the wake of a landslide in Mulitaka that has claimed an estimated 600 lives.

A team of senior Barrick executives spent last week in the country visiting the disaster site and working with the provincial and national governments, as well as officials from the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, Australia, New Zealand and the US to coordinate relief and recovery activities.

In addition to monetary and in-kind contributions, the Barrick-operated Porgera gold mine is supporting the Enga provincial government with manpower at the disaster operations centre in Wabag. Five New Porgera Limited (NPL) employees have been seconded to advise and assist the operations centre with logistics, inventory, community relations and media.

The mine delivered its second donation of relief supplies to the Mulitaka disaster site on May 31 including food, medical items and tarpaulins for temporary shelter. It has also sourced eight shipping containers to store relief supplies and dispatched construction personnel to scope the installation of additional structures and water tanks.

NPL has mobilised an excavator and a bulldozer to assist with clearing operations and has converted a truck to be capable of pulling a float to help transport equipment. The mine is also looking at the viability of using radar to help with monitoring at the slip site.

Further, NPL is working with the Enga provincial government on temporary measures to bring food and fuel to the Porgera valley communities, which depend on the Highlands Highway for essential supplies.

Barrick president and CEO Mark Bristow says NPL is working closely with the provincial government to continue the relief efforts on the ground with key stakeholders from the donor agencies, government and other resource companies.

“Porgera stands ready to provide additional relief and assistance to support impacted families and communities during this time of need,” he said.