Pastor dies as PMV plunges into creek

 A PASTOR of a local church was killed and six passengers critically injured after the bus they were travelling in plunged into a creek at Ambum district in Enga.

Acting provincial police commander Chief Inspector Epenes Nili told The National yesterday the pastor, who was the owner and driver of the 25-seater bus, lost control at a corner near Par village.

The bus plunged into the creek and rolled.

Nili said the pastor was killed instantly while six out of the 18 passengers in the bus heading into Wabag town, were seriously injured.

They are now in the Wabag General Hospital.

He said the accident happened yesterday at about 8am near the Par Catholic Mission.

“I appeal to the bus owners and PMV truck drivers not to take advantage of the good road in the province by driving carelessly,” Nili said. “We are into the wet season and the sealed roads as well as unsealed roads are slippery and landslides are occurring along the road.”

Meanwhile, Nili is calling on the people living along the road not to set up roadblocks where landslides occurred to charge illegal fees on the road users.

He said that if there was a landslide and blocking a section of the road, leave it to the Provincial Works to come and clear the road.