Careful drive home for iwi elders
Scratched, bruised and sore, all but one of the 19 survivors of a bus crash near Sanson in Manawatu¯ on Thursday are out of hospital and preparing to return home to Tauranga.
Nga¯ i Te Rangi iwi chief executive Paora Stanley said he was thankful nobody had been more seriously injured when the bus rolled into a ditch on State Highway 1, ending up on its roof.
‘‘It could have been a lot worse, especially with a lot of elders on board.
‘‘These were quite traumatic physical events, and we want to make sure they are all fit to travel.’’
The group had been returning from Parliament, where they had protested the signing of the Hauraki Treaty settlement, when the Fuso bus, the same model as the bus in a fatal crash near Tu¯ roa skifield a few days earlier, left the road and crashed.
Police said 13 people with minor injuries were taken to Whanganui Hospital and six with moderate injuries went to Palmerston North Hospital. The last person left in Palmerston North Hospital was expected to be discharged yesterday or today.
Stanley said survivors and supporters planned to gather at Ra¯ tana near Whanganui yesterday to give thanks and make plans for travelling home.
‘‘Even though we’ve been here a very short time, the warmth for us from Palmerston North people has been astounding.’’
Stanley said the trip home would be a slow one.
‘‘There won’t be any sightseeing today. Our main priority will be that their safety is maintained.’’
The police commercial vehicle safety team is investigating the crash.