Three children among seven killed in crash

By JIMMY KALEBE
SEVEN people died and three are in critical condition at Angau Memorial Hospital following an early-morning road accident at Nasuapum outside Lae on Saturday.
Among the deceased are three children aged between 12 months and eight years, according to Angau hospital morgue attendant Naru Koria.
The accident occurred when a 15-seater PMV bus and a five-door Toyota Land Cruiser collided along the Highlands Highway at Nasupaum between 5 and 6am. Police could not be reached for comment but an accident victim, Samson Munia, from Maprik in East Sepik, claimed the five-door had crossed its lane.
“We were turning at a bend when we saw the Land Cruiser taking our lane at a high speed and in the next minute I could not clearly work out where I was until I found out that I was in the hospital with a broken leg,” Munia said.
“We left Madang at around 5pm on Friday with bags of betel nuts and full passengers and travelled till daybreak. We had rested at 40-Mile market at around 1am and left around 4am for Lae.”
Stanley Nuke, from Madang, another victim on the PMV, said three passengers on the bus were pronounced dead at the scene.