Three people are dead and more than 60 others seriously injured after an accident on a road leading to the MMJV project site outside of Lae.
Most of those injured were children aged between the ages of 5 and 17 heading back to Gebensis after a Sunday School camp.
This morning, Angau hospital’s accident and emergency section was filled to capacity. Sixty-nine adults and children are being treated for various injuries. All of them have been traumatized by their ordeal.
One 7-year-old boys who is fortunate to be alive is nursing severe bruises to his head and body. He was thrown against the side of the vehicle. His mother also survived but with more serious injuries to her face.
Outside the hospital, relatives gathered. Many torn by the news. As others expressed some relief that their children had survived, there was none for the woman who lost the three members of her family.
Villagers have been angered by responses from MMJV security. They said the rescue could have happened earlier, but they had to argue with the company security for at least an hour before they were let in. By then the first injured victims had already made their way to the gates.
The response by provincial authorities has been swift despite communication problems. The governor sent out text messages at two in the alerting all concerned to assist with ambulances and fuel to ferry the injured.
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