Papua New Guinea Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 67

Aid workers in Papua New Guinea say the death toll from last week's 7.5 earthquake has reached at least 67, as the country's remote highlands were again rocked by strong aftershocks, The Guardian writes.

Three aftershocks, each stronger than magnitude 5, shook the rugged Southern Highlands early on Monday, spreading fear in a region already badly damaged when the largest quake to hit the region struck a week ago.

Aid is beginning to trickle into the worst affected regions but the extent of the devastation has taken days to emerge because of the area's remoteness - about 500km from the capital Port Moresby.

Udaya Regmi, the head of the Red Cross office in Papua New Guinea, said the death toll was expected to keep climbing.

"We know at least 500 people are injured and 127,000 people need immediate aid such as food, water, shelter and healthcare" Regmi said.

"Many places that have been struck are still inaccessible, except by walking in, so there is a huge supply issue in delivering aid. We definitely need more help from our neighbours and the aid community, this is turning into a humanitarian crisis."

Isaac Pulupe, a resident of Tari, in Hela Province, which bore the brunt of the quake, told Radio New Zealand that most buildings in his town of 10,000 had collapsed, including the school and part of the hospital.

"Most people have been traumatised emotionally from all that is happening and the continual earthquakes going on, their gardens and even homes have collapsed." Pulupe said.

"We've heard that there are international charity organisations committed to come to help us, but we haven't seen them yet. We only have the provincial government team trying to go around doing the...