Trekkers coming home after PNG attack
A group of Australian trekkers attacked on a jungle track in Papua New Guinea is expected to return home on Thursday.
Eight Australians, one New Zealander and a group of porters were attacked by six bandits as they camped on the Black Cat track in Morobe province on Tuesday.
Two porters were hacked to death, while others received wounds to their heads and arms and legs, including an Australian whose arm was slashed and another who was speared in the leg.
Local villagers are tracking the attackers and about 20 police officers and the police airborne unit have been sent to join the hunt.
PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has condemned the attack and invoked the nation’s death penalty.
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“These are appalling crimes, and they attract the death penalty under laws passed by the National Parliament since the last election,” the prime minister said in a statement.
Australia has issued a warning for travellers wanting to walk the Black Cat track, but has kept its travel advice for other notable PNG treks – such as Kokoda – the same.
Melbourne man Peter Stevens, who suffered leg injuries, said the bandits went for the porters first.
“These guys rush into the camp area and they went into the porters lines and just started hacking and slashing basically,” he told the Seven Network.
“A number of the porters made a break for it, some made it, some didn’t.”
