24 killed in crash

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
TWENTY four people were killed yesterday at Murip village in the Baiyer district of  Western Highlands when the bus they were travelling in ran off a cliff and plunged 50m into a river.
Those killed include 17 men, six women (one of whom was pregnant) and a five-year-old girl.
A councillor, a village court magistrate and a primary school teacher were among those who died.
Two women and two men sustained serious injuries and were fighting for their lives at the Mt Hagen Provincial Hospital.
Those deceased and survivors hail from the Epilka tribe in Baiyer.
They were travelling in a 25-seater bus going into Mt Hagen to pick up the casket of tribesman, the late Henry Bonney, who died in Port Moresby and whose casket was flown into Kagamuga airport on the Air Niugini flight yesterday morning.
At Murip village, the bus ran off the road and hurled down a 50 metre gorge to smash against the rocks of Hukuk River.
Ward councillor Kuri Rani told The National at the hospital that he was supposed to travel with the group but decided not to and jumped on another vehicle going into Mt Hagen ahead of others.
 “They are my people from the Epilka tribe at Baiyer zoo and it’s a big loss to me and the rest of my tribesmen,” Rani said.
“We were all travelling into town to pick up a casket and didn’t know such a thing would happen” he said.
He said about 100 boys made a human chain down the cliff to retrieve the bodies from the wreckage.
Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari described the accident as the worst ever road accident involving a 25-seater bus in the Highlands region.
Lakari said police were rushed to the scene and helped to get the bodies out and investigate the cause of the accident.
Crowds gathered at the hospital morgue yesterday to identify bodies of their loved ones.