This time, let's go to the race against time to find survivors after a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea.

這一次，讓我們去看看巴巴新幾內亞發生大規模山體滑坡後，如何爭分奪秒地尋找倖存者。

Recovery efforts in a remote, mountainous part of the South Pacific island nation are underway, but they are extremely challenging.

南太平洋島國偏遠山區的恢復工作正在進行，但極具挑戰性。

The government estimates the death toll could pass 2,000.

政府估計死亡人數可能超過 2000 人。

Some of the debris is estimated to reach more than two stories high.

一些瓦礫估計有兩層樓那麼高。

NBC News International correspondent Kelly Kobea joins us now with the latest on this tragic story.

NBC 新聞國際記者凱利-科貝亞（Kelly Kobea）現在加入我們的報道行列，為我們帶來這一悲慘事件的最新消息。

Kelly, good morning.

凱莉，早上好。

What is the latest on search and rescue operations?

搜救行動的最新情況如何？

Well, those search and rescue operations continue, Savannah, but one UN official says the hopes are diminishing of finding anyone alive.

搜救行動仍在繼續，薩凡納，但一位聯合國官員說，找到生還者的希望越來越渺茫。

Another saying that this is not a rescue mission anymore, that it is a recovery mission.

另一種說法是，這不再是一項救援任務，而是一項恢復任務。

Now, one item of heavy machinery did reach the area.

現在，確實有一臺重型機械到達了該地區。

Over the weekend, it was donated by a local building company, a local developing company, and it's simply one digger.

上週末，當地的一家建築公司和一家開發公司捐贈了這臺挖掘機。

And the problem, really, with this disaster is that the land is still moving.

實際上，這場災難的問題在於土地仍在移動。

It's an extremely unstable and dangerous environment for heavy machinery.

對於重型機械來說，這是一個極其不穩定和危險的環境。

What we've been seeing over the past several days are just local villagers using shovels, sticks, and farming equipment to try to dig through that several feet, in some cases, of debris.

在過去幾天裡，我們看到的只是當地村民用鐵鍬、木棍和農具試圖挖開幾英尺深的廢墟，在某些情況下是這樣。

And in some cases, they're also trying to move boulders, some boulders described as being as big as cars.

在某些情況下，他們還試圖移動巨石，有些巨石據說有汽車那麼大。

So a really difficult area to search and to perform any sort of rescue operation without that heavy equipment.

是以，在沒有重型設備的情況下，要在這一區域進行搜索和開展任何救援行動都非常困難。

In addition to those problems, there are no phone communications out there.

除了這些問題，外面也沒有電話通訊。

A huge section of the main highway leading to those villages has been cut off by the landslide as well.

通往這些村莊的一大段主要公路也因山體滑坡而中斷。

So the area is only accessible, really, by helicopter.

是以，只有乘坐直升機才能到達該地區。

Now, the government did ask for more international help on Sunday, but there's yet another factor here.

現在，政府確實在週日請求了更多的國際援助，但這裡還有另一個因素。

It's really tough to get in and out of that area or even to stay in that area for international aid workers because of tribal fighting.

由於部落戰鬥，國際援助人員很難進出該地區，甚至很難留在該地區。

Aid workers have to be escorted by the military into the area and back out again.

援助人員必須在軍方護送下進入該地區，然後再返回。

So a very, very difficult search and rescue operation, Savannah.

薩凡納，這是一次非常非常艱難的搜救行動。

Kelly, our viewers can see on our screen right now, the words along the bottom of the screen.

凱利，我們的觀眾現在可以在螢幕上看到螢幕下方的字樣。

We say more than 2,000 people feared dead in landslide, but the United Nations is estimating the number of people killed around 670.

我們說山體滑坡可能造成 2000 多人死亡，但聯合國估計死亡人數約為 670 人。

Why are those numbers so off?

為什麼這些數字會有如此大的偏差？

So that 2,000 number actually showed up in a letter written by the acting disaster management head for Papua New Guinea to the United Nations on Sunday.

是以，這個 2000 人的數字實際上出現在巴巴新幾內亞代理災害管理負責人週日寫給聯合國的信中。

Associated Press received a copy of that letter.

美聯社收到了這封信的副本。

And in it, he said that more than 2,000 people were buried alive in the landslide.

他在信中說，有 2000 多人在山體滑坡中被活埋。

The problem is there's no clear figure on how many people were living there in the first place.

問題是，當初有多少人住在那裡並沒有明確的數字。

The last census in the area was 24 years ago.

該地區最近一次人口普查是在 24 年前。

There's been a lot of movement of people in that area since, in part because of a gold mine that is in the area, people trying to take advantage of that, as well as just displacement because of that tribal fighting.

自那以後，該地區的人口流動頻繁，部分原因是該地區有一座金礦，人們試圖從中獲利，還有一部分原因是部落戰鬥導致的流離失所。

So it's difficult to get a handle on how many people were there when that landslide happened in the early hours of Friday, 3 o'clock in the morning, when most people were sleeping, if not all, Savannah.

是以，很難確定週五凌晨 3 點發生山體滑坡時有多少人在現場，當時大多數人都在睡覺，甚至所有人都在薩凡納。

Kelly, I understand there are concerns that a second landslide could happen.

凱利，我知道有人擔心會發生第二次山體滑坡。

Is there anything that can be done to prepare in case it does or even try to prevent it?

有什麼辦法可以防患於未然，甚至可以預防嗎？

Yeah, so there's been more heavy rain, torrential rains in the area.

是啊，所以有更多的大雨，暴雨在該地區。

One official describing his biggest worry is weather, weather, weather.

一位官員介紹說，他最擔心的就是天氣、天氣、天氣。

They say there is water flowing underneath the debris because of all that rainfall.

他們說，由於降雨量大，瓦礫下面有水流過。

There's been heavy rain for weeks over Papua New Guinea.

巴巴新幾內亞上空連續幾周下大雨。

The debris and bodies buried under the debris are causing the land to continue moving.

廢墟和埋在廢墟下的屍體導致土地不斷移動。

There are reports of rocks still falling, of trees falling, and a real danger of another landslip, if not a massive landslide.

有報告稱，岩石仍在掉落，樹木也在倒塌，即使不會發生大規模山體滑坡，也確實存在再次發生山體滑坡的危險。

Again, it's one of the reasons it's so dangerous for rescue workers and also dangerous for the locals there.

這也是救援人員和當地人面臨危險的原因之一。

The government and aid workers are trying to evacuate several thousand people right now from neighboring villages and also trying to find a way to get those survivors from the area so that they at least are safe.

政府和援助人員正試圖從鄰近村莊疏散幾千人，同時也在想辦法把這些倖存者從該地區轉移出來，這樣他們至少是安全的。

Savannah.

薩凡納

Kelly Kobeya, thank you very much for your reporting here.

凱利-科比亞，非常感謝你的報道。

Thanks for watching.

感謝觀看。

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