Principal: Students discouraged from leaving premises

THE principal of the school which the two girls, who died in a road accident on Sunday, had been attending says they have always discouraged students from leaving the premises.
Principal of the Aiyura National High School Karl Puluma confirmed that the two grade 12 students had caught a passing truck travelling to Kainantu on Sunday.
“It’s a great loss to the Aiyura National High School to start the year on a sad note,” he said.
“We sympathise with their relatives, especially the parents who had invested so much in the girls to do well in school and be their hope for tomorrow.”
He said some students who insisted on going out to attend church activities were allowed to go.
The school is located in Obura-Wonenara, Eastern Highlands.
Police identified the two grade 12 students as Marie Martin of Jiwaka and Sharon Komen of Enga.
Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Michael Welly said he was told that the two girls were on their way to Kainantu town to attend a church service.
He said the truck they were travelling in failed to negotiate a sharp bend near the Professor Schindler Primary School hill, went off the road and rolled twice.
“One boy also believed to be a student sustained serious injuries and is admitted at the Kainantu Hospital,” he said.
“Policemen are looking for the driver who fled after the accident.”
He warned students and parents to take care travelling back to school especially on vehicles which are not road-worthy.
“This is the back-to-school period where parents and students are travelling to be in time for registration,” he said.
“We never know what is going to happen but many vehicles are defective – smooth tyres, mechanical faults.”