Dozens of people are feared buried or killed after a significant landslide in Papua New Guinea  near the Southern Highlands or the country.

The landslide struck during the morning near the Nogoli base for an ExxonMobil-led liquefied natural gas plant site, north-west of Port Moresby. Exxon has been in the area for some time now and employ many staff.

One local said three villages have been covered while another report says only a handful of homes were lost. Its difficult to determine the exact number of lives lost or the level of damage that has occurred.

There has also been reports that the main road in the area has been cut causing additional trouble for rescuers and locals who want to help.

Radio Australia said dozens of people are feared buried, quoting a Tari resident as saying about 40 people are missing however these numbers are still to be confirmed.

It also said the land slide stretches about one kilometre and is 300 metres wide. This is a significant slip and is likely due to the persistent rain that has been falling in the region. Fiji is currently experiencing heavy flooding after several days of rain.

The company says the landslide is not expected to hinder the A$16 billion (NZ$20.7b) LNG project’s completion in 2014. For leading national and international news, log onto Newsy.co.nz