With transport and communications links to the affected Highlands provinces still badly disrupted, there is still no official death toll.
But police in Southern Highlands province said at least 11 people were confirmed dead in Mendi, and the provincial death and injury toll was expected to rise.
It was a similar story in the capital of neighbouring Hela province, Tari, where power was out and the cellphone tower was down.
A local man, Moses Komengi said there had been significant loss of life
