At least four bodies have been recovered and seven people, including a child, have been treated for injuries, UN official Serhan Aktoprak told the France-Presse news agency (AFP) from the capital, Port Moresby, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) from the disaster zone, on Saturday. The landslide struck at about 3 a.m. (3 p.m. ET Thursday) Friday in central Enga province, catching residents of the village of Kaokalam by surprise, local officials said. "We are still searching for bodies buried by the massive landslide," said community leader Mark Ipuia, who fears that "more than 300" villagers may have been buried. "There are many houses under the debris that cannot be reached," said Aktoprak, who estimated that 3,000 people lived in Kaokalam, a hillside village. "The ground is still moving and shifting, making it dangerous to operate," the UN official said. The disaster killed livestock and destroyed the village's gardens and sources of drinking water, according to aid agencies. A team of rescuers, including medics, soldiers and police, reached the disaster zone on Saturday after a difficult journey over rough terrain and damaged roads. "While the area is not densely populated, we fear the death toll could be proportionally huge," the aid agency CARE said Saturday. Images released so far show an area of devastation, with a mix of boulders and earth that slid down from Mount Kadovar. Villagers, many barefoot, used shovels, axes and other makeshift tools to clear debris in the hope of finding survivors, while others scavenged through piles of corrugated iron to try to create makeshift shelters. An emergency convoy also brought food, water and other essential supplies to survivors. Steven Kandai, a leader in the Porgera Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a town near the affected area, told AFP that many residents did not have time to escape. "There was a sudden huge landslide. The mountain just fell down all of a sudden while people were still sleeping," Kandai said, adding that homes were "completely buried." Papua New Guinea is a developing nation of mostly subsistence farmers that is home to 800 languages. There are few roads outside major towns. With a population of 10 million, it is the most populous nation in the South Pacific after Australia, which has about 27 million people. See also: Deslizamento de terra causa mais de 100 mortos na Papua Nova Guiné (Portuguese version)