Highway accidents claim 17

By ZACHERY PER
SEVENTEEN people are dead in two fatal road accidents on the Highlands Highway.
In Henganofi, Eastern Highlands, a 15-seater PMV bus yesterday plunged several metres into a river bank, killing 12 people on board, while trying to negotiate a pothole near a one-lane bridge.
At Walium in the Usino-Bundi electorate of Madang last Sunday night, an overloaded vehicle overturned on the highway, throwing off and rolling over four passengers, killing them instantly.
The Henganofi accident had prompted police to call for an urgent upgrading of the highway. The 12 were travelling in the bus from Kainantu to Goroka around noon.
Acting Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Chief Insp John Daviaga said the accident occurred at the approach to a single-lane bridge at the Henganofi section of the Highlands Highway.
He said another vehicle was parked near the bridge to give way to an approaching vehicle.
The driver of the PMV bus suddenly saw a huge pothole near the parked vehicle and tried to avoid it. But he lost control of the bus when it hit the pothole, slammed into the side of the parked vehicle, hit the side of the bridge and plunged about 5m into the bank of the Henganofi creek.
Daviaga said seven people died instantly. Five died while they were being rushed to the Henganofi health centre.
“Those who died came from different parts of Eastern Highlands and other provinces. Relatives are identifying bodies,” he said.
“The deteriorating road conditions have contributed to nearly all accidents along the Highlands Highway.
“One was also caused by a pothole during the recent independence anniversary celebrations and Goroka show weekend at the Paragon section near Goroka. Two young men died.”
Daviaga urged the Works Department to fix the roads urgently before more lives were lost because of the poor condition.
At Walium, Madang, a vehicle carrying more than 40 people overturned throwing passengers off and rolling over four.
Usino-Bundi administrator Jimmy Sekum was travelling back to Walium from Madang when he arrived at scene of the accident and described it as “massive and deadly”.
“I quickly drove to Walium and arranged four vehicles and transported everyone injured to Modilon Hospital the same night,” he said.
Sekum said he received reports from eyewitnesses that the mini open back Daihatsu was swinging from one side of the road to the other before it overturned.
It was reported that the driver and passengers were returning from a bride price ceremony at their home village at Danaru in the Usino area when the accident happened.
When it overturned near the Walium bridge, it rolled and turned twice and in the process, it ran over three adults and a five-year-old boy.
The four dead were transported by Walium Health Centre ambulance to Madang on Monday while the injured wounds at Modilon Hospital.
The driver escaped and is still in hiding.