The King took a break from his May bank holiday with his family to share an important message.
The 75-year-old wrote a heartfelt message to the people of Papua New Guinea and the Highlands after the landslide in Enga.
“My wife and I were deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the devastating landslide in Enga, which caused the tragic loss of many lives, homes, and food gardens. I have seen firsthand and greatly admire the extraordinary resilience of the people of Papua New Guinea and the Highlands.
I believe that your communities will come together to support the survivors and recover from this heartbreaking event. My wife and I send our deepest condolences to the families and communities who have suffered so much from this traumatic event. Papua New Guinea is very much in our thoughts and prayers.”
As many as 2,000 people are feared buried under the Papua New Guinea landslide as survivors dig with their hands and spades.
Locals have been left reeling after tonnes of rock and mud smashed into their homes as they slept, and rescuers have struggled to reach such a remote part of what is already one of Asia’s poorest nations leaving locals with little choice but to dig through the collapsed mountainside with whatever tools they have.
Papua New Guinea is home to around 10 million people. Its vast mountainous terrain and lack of roads have made it difficult to access the affected area.
Papua is one of five countries in Asia and the Pacific where the His Majesty is head of state. They also include Australia, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.
At a ceremony also honouring the late Queen, Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape said: “In reflection of the life she lived, the exemplary performance of duties as the head of the state of Papua New Guinea, it is in this connection that we all gather here this morning to acknowledge her passing and to acknowledge and witness the ascension of the throne of King Charles III,” the Associated Press reported.
