MELBOURNE: Between 20 and 50 people have been killed in violence among illegal miners in Papua New Guinea, a United Nations official said Monday.

The fighting started days ago and is continuing in the Porgera Valley, near the site of a landslide in May estimated to have killed more than 2,000 people, according to the South Pacific island nation's government.

The U.N.'s humanitarian adviser for Papua New Guinea, Mate Bagossy, said the death toll of at least 20 as of Sunday was based on information from community members and local authorities in Enga province in the nation's mountainous inland.

“We have confirmed that at least 20 people have been killed, but as per the last news that I have, it's likely up to 50 people,” Bagossy told The Associated Press. “The fighting is continuing.”

“Today some security forces have started moving in ... so it remains to be seen what effect this will have,” Bagossy said, referring to the army and police.

Bagossy did not have information on the numbers wounded.