Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
In April 2026, Tropical Cyclone Maila brought intense rainfall to parts of Papua New Guinea, notably the islands of Bougainville, New Britain, and New Ireland. The cyclone reached Category 4 strength on Australia's cyclone intensity scale and lingered near the region, producing heavy and prolonged rainbands over East New Britain.
The heavy precipitation saturated the steep landscapes in the Gazelle district, causing landslides on and around April 9 that resulted in several deaths, according to news agencies. Satellite images from NASA's Landsat 9 captured fresh landslide scars cutting through dense tropical forest in the Baining Mountains, visible as light-brown exposed soil and debris amid the greenery.
The Toriu River and other sediment-laden waterways were observed east of the landslides. Comparison with pre-event imagery from September 24, 2025, highlights the scale of the damage. The slow movement of Maila allowed repeated rainfall, with hundreds of millimeters estimated to have fallen within one week, according to NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement mission.
NASA’s Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness model, which incorporates precipitation data with terrain and land cover information, indicated an elevated risk of slope failure in East New Britain during the storm’s peak, including the Baining Mountains.