The Highlands Highway along a Simbu stretch of the road came to a complete stop since Monday morning after police allegedly shot a primary school student over the weekend.
The deceased was alleged to be part of group of villagers who tried to ransack a fallen container after it ran off the road in the process of avoiding a small pothole
Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Superintendent Augustine Wampe said that the relatives of the deceased blocked the highway at Gera after the incident on Sunday but he went there with the security personnel and negotiated to clear the blockage.
The villagers blocked off the highlands highway making it inaccessible for the travelling public to use the highway after the death of the teenager.
He said the shooting incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when a semi-trailer container, owned and operated by East West Transport company carrying cargoes into the highlands overturned and the villagers tried to loot the container.
He said the truck driver saw a pothole in the middle of the road and tried to avoid the pothole and in the process, capsized the truck due to the load.
He said the villagers swamped the truck and tried to loot the vehicle when a Police Mobile Squad unit, who was engaged in the counting in Kundiawa, was sent to secure the container.
He said as the day draw to an end, the police withdraw. The villagers gathered and looted the container.
Police returned and saw the villagers looting the container and shots were fired. In the process, allegedly shot dead one and send another four to the hospital.
Meanwhile, counting for Simbu commenced after mid-day yesterday.
PPC Wampe said all security personnel were engaged for the counting and additional security personnel will be engaged for the counting at the Dickson Rugby League Oval.
Attached video are slide show pictures for the road accident.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=slDC2QAYJAc%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
