Papua New Guinea's military said on Tuesday that hundreds of villagers feared buried in a highlands landslide will not be recovered, as the site has been deemed "too dangerous."

"All efforts to recover bodies have been called off because of the danger" of further landslides, Major Joe Aku told AFP, citing the risk of further landslides. 

"Recovery is non-negotiable at this stage," he said, dashing survivors' hopes of recovering loved ones. Aku – one of the leading military officers overseeing the site – declared the disaster area a "no-go zone". 

It will be cordoned off to the community and authorities until further notice. Papua New Guinea's government estimates 2,000 people may have been buried in the 600-meter-long (2,000 feet) mountain of soil and boulders that engulfed a remote community in Enga province.