Horror smash leaves 17 dead

* 17 killed, over 40 injured                                    

 * Two PMVs collide near Bereina

* Many victims from Iokea and bodies, casualties at Port Moresby General Hospital

 

By YEHIURA HRIEHWAZI and PATRICK TALU in The National, Papua New Guinea’s leading daily newspaper

 

SEVENTEEN people were killed and more than 40 are fighting for their lives in hospital after one of PNG’s worst road accidents on the Hiritano Highway near Bereina in Central province on Saturday afternoon.

Two PMV trucks collided head-on in the horrific accident about 4pm, several kilometres toward Iokea village from the Bereina station turn-off.

Sixteen of the passengers and crew died on impact, while a young boy died on arrival at the Port Moresby General Hospital from severe internal injuries.

A nursing staff of Bereina Hospital, who helped transport the crash victims, told The National: “Planti lain dai na planti igat intenel injuri na lek bruk na han bruk” (Many people are dead and there are many with internal injuries and broken bones in their hands and legs).

Hiritano Highway Police Patrol unit officers told The National in Hisiu yesterday that the 13 passengers who died on impact were in the PMV truck travelling to Iokea from Port Moresby, while three died in the truck heading toward the city. Both trucks were carrying at least 28 passengers each. The exact number of passengers could not be confirmed.

One of the women killed instantly was named as Fotuna Akarai Sarufa, in her mid-40s, who was travelling to Iokea for a farewell feast for her elder sister who passed away 43 days ago.

Mrs Sarufa died instantly from a head injury. Her niece, Emma Tau, who was accompanying her aunt, also died instantly, and one of her sons-in-law, Kivovia Kevei Ovai, a former Correctional Services officer, also died in the crash.

An employee of a mining company, Loksy Ovai, who was heading home to Iokea for his field break, was killed as he sat in the cabin of the PMV truck. The driver, Charlie Tapora, and a third person in the cabin, were crushed into the back of the cabin and died instantly.

Police said the driver and crew of the city-bound truck also died on impact.

There was a smell of death in the air and cargo and passengers’ belongings strewn all over the scene of the accident when The National arrived yesterday.

Kerema East local level government president, Robert Paiva, who was at the scene, was shocked and distraught by the tragedy.

Many who died were his relatives and he was travelling to Port Moresby last night to be with family members.

He called for more police patrols on the highway and urged the Works Department to clear the sides of the roads which were overgrown with tall grass that made the national highway appear like a bush track, with visibility of on-coming vehicles extremely difficult (see separate story above).

The Hiritano Highway Police Patrol told The National that the PMV travelling to Port Moresby was loaded with passengers and cargo and it collided head-on with the PMV from Port Moresby.

On impact, passengers and cargo were thrown toward the cabins of the two PMVs, with visible signs of the metal frames bent inwards.

Help was sought from the Bereina Hospital and the Catholic Diocese staff, who rushed to the scene, struggled to retrieve bodies from the twisted metal frames and cabins.

They rushed four passengers with serious internal injuries to Port Moresby General Hospital while others with broken bones were taken to Bereina Hospital. Later on Saturday night, they were transferred to Port Moresby General Hospital with the dead bodies, police and hospital staff said.

The total death toll was put at 17 last night by various persons and police spoken to by The National.

The front of the POMGH turned into a large mourning site as people from Gulf province arrived in droves as news of the accident spread through various suburbs like Taikone, Kaugere, Mahuru, Gerehu, Koki, Hohola, Tokarara and Gordon on Saturday night.

There was wailing and mourning at the hospital grounds up to about 1am on Sunday as relatives confirmed deaths of their family members and identified bodies as they were transported in.

Reliable sources from POMGH’s Accident and Emergency unit confirmed that 17 bodies were transferred to the hospital morgue, while the rest of the passengers, some with serious injuries, are fighting for their lives at the intensive care unit.

When The National visited the emergency ward and surgical units at 6pm yesterday, 43 badly injured passengers were fighting for their lives.

 

Happy 2nd birthday, Keith Nalu

Happy 2nd Birthday to my third son, Keith 'Baby' Nalu Jr, who turns two years old today, Monday, June 01, 2009.

That is sadly without Mum, Hula, who left us so tragically in Easter 2008.
I love you son, and God Bless You as Your prepare to take your place in this wide, wide world.
Love from Dad, as well as big brothers Malum Nalu Jr, Gedi, and sister Moasing, plus family and friends in Daru, Lae, Goroka, Papua New Guinea, Australia and the world.

World Environment Day 2009 (please click on images to enlarge)

Today at the farm

Captions: 1. Green Grevillea 2. Grevillea 3. Grevillea 4. Honey Gem Grevillea 5. Pink Grevillea 6. Lorikeet 7. Wobbly 8. Lorikeet 9. Lorikeet 10 Lorikeet

 

From Paul Oates in Queensland, Australia

We've just had a little rain and the Grevilleas are bursting into flower. AsI try to photograph the flowers, Rainbow Lorikeets screech at me for interrupting their evening meal and at their screeching, a furry head pops up from behind the rock wall to see what's going on.

Implement work place policy on smoking

By ELIZABETH MIAE in The National

 

THE PNG Medical Society (PNGMS) has called on Government and private institutions to implement the tobacco legislation into work place policies at their work places.

PNGMS president Dr Mathias Sapuri said the tobacco legislation was already in place but was not being enforced because many institutions were not taking it seriously.

He urged the Health Department to revive the legislation and tighten it up to give the department power to penalise people who smoke in smoke-free zones.

Dr Sapuri’s comments were timely as PNG observes the World No Tobacco Day today with the theme “Tobacco Health Warnings”.

“We need to have a penalty that is instituted by a legislation.

“It is our responsibility, as the medical society, to advise the public that smoking causes cancer.

“The more you smoke, the more you damage your lungs,” Dr Sapuri stressed.

He said all health facilities and public places (including work places) should be free from smoking and the chewing of betelnut.

Dr Sapuri added that places such as restaurants, pubs and night clubs could create a smoke room or corridor where smokers could go to smoke as being done in Asia, Europe and America.

“It is entirely up to pubs to impose a ban on smoking but some people may argue that it is discriminatory.

“But passive smoking is more dangerous because the non-smoker is inhaling more smoke than the smoker who is blowing it out,” he said.

Dr Sapuri also called on parents to be responsible and not send their children to buy cigarettes and betelnut for them because that was where they picked up the bad habits.

He highlighted that as one of the biggest problems in the country where children were being educated “indirectly” by parents on how to smoke and chew.

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated annually on May 31.

 

World No Tobacco Day

On May 31 each year, the World Health Organisation celebrates World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce consumption.
Tobacco use is the second cause of death globally and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide.
The WHO has "Tobacco Health Warnings" as the theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day.
Tobacco health warnings appear on packs of cigarettes and are among the strongest defences against the global epidemic of tobacco.
WHO particularly approves of tobacco health warnings that contain both pictures and words because they are the most effective at convincing people to quit. Such pictorial warnings appear in more than a dozen countries.
On World No Tobacco Day 2009, and throughout the following year, WHO will encourage governments to adopt tobacco health warnings that meet all the criteria for maximal effectiveness, including that they cover more than half of the pack, appear on both the front and back of the pack and contain pictures.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control obligates its more than 160 countries parties to require "health warnings describing the harmful effects of tobacco use" on packs of tobacco and their outside packaging and recommends that the warnings contain pictures. WHO works through its Tobacco Free Initiative department to help the parties to meet their obligation, providing technical and other assistance.
As WHO Director General Margaret Chan says, "We hold in our hands the solution to the global tobacco epidemic that threatens the lives of one billion men, women and children during this century."

Kalibobo Spirit is the perfect way to see Papua New Guinea

The Kalibobo Spirit provides the perfect way to see the coastal ports, islands and Sepik River in Papua New Guinea. 
The 30m vessel was built in Picton, New Zealand,   and is owned and operated by Melanesian Tourist Services based in Madang. 
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 There is a dining room, lounge, cocktail bar and three covered decks to observe and relax.
Facilities aboard the vessel include two zodiac tenders, a fast aluminium river boat that can carry 20 passengers at 50mph along the Sepik and tributaries and on selected cruises a helicopter. 
 The ship is equipped with a dive shop which enables guests to dive some of the most-pristine waters in the world.
Whilst the Kalibobo Spirit is primarily for charter, in August, several cruises to the Sepik are scheduled.
Since the Kalibobo Spirit arrived it has had cruises throughout the Bismarck Sea including Manus, New Ireland, Rabaul, West New Britain, Siassi, Madang, Port Moresby, Milne Bay and to the Sepik River.
For more information, call Wesley at MTS on 852 2766 or e-mail mtsoperations@mtspng.com