Bus plunges into ravine killing 21 in Western Highlands
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
Bus plunges into ravine
killing 21 in Western Highlands
PORT MORESBY: A bus plunged into a ravine killing 21
people and injuring several others in Western Highlands’ Ketpeng on Friday.
The bus driver was
believed to have avoided crashing into another bus which had landed on its side
in an earlier accident that killed a secondary schoolgirl from Togoba and
another passenger.
Nineteen of the dead are
from Nembilyer’s Ulga, Upka, Milika and Po, and the other two were a pastor and
his daughter from Southern Highlands’ Kutubu.
The news break was reported by The National:
21 killed in road
accident
March 7, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
By MIRIAM ZARRIGA and ELIAS LARI
A BUS plunged into a
ravine killing 21 people and injuring several others in Western Highlands’
Ketpeng on Friday.
The bus driver was believed to have avoided crashing into another bus which had
landed on its side in an earlier accident that killed a secondary schoolgirl
from Togoba and another passenger.
Nineteen of the dead are from Nebilyer’s Ulga, Upka, Milika and Po, and the
other two were a pastor and his daughter from Southern Highlands Kutubu.
Officer-in-charge of criminal investigations Senior Inspector Joe Koi said it
was unknown why the bus from the first accident was not removed.
“The second bus was coming down a hill and had negotiated a corner when the
driver applied the brakes,” he said.
“The bus then ran over the drain and plunged into the ravine.”
According to those at the scene, some of the passengers were thrown out of the
bus and the others were found in the bus.
“Those found alive were rushed to the Mt Hagen General Hospital and the dead
were sent to the mortuary,” Koi said. He said it was the biggest casualty
recorded in a vehicle accident in the province.
Koi said the drivers of the buses or any other vehicles should be thinking of
their passengers’ safety while driving.
“When you have passengers onboard, their safety is paramount,” he said. “Do not
to speed on the highway.”
Koi confirmed that two passengers died at the scene in the first accident.
Police highway patrol’s Senior Sergeant Joe Kik said the first accident claimed
the life of a schoolgirl who was on her way home to Bulg village.
Kik said the bus was still on the road and after a few minutes, another
25-seater bus from Mt Hagen to Nebilyer and parts of Togoba arrived.
“The driver apparently avoided the bus that was lying on its side, hit a drain
and headed straight to and over the cliff,” he said.
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