Somali leader badly injured in crossing smash

WELLINGTON Muslims are praying for the recovery of Adam Awad, a Somali community leader who is seriously ill after his car was hit by a freight train on a private rail crossing in Te Horo.

Family spokesman Ismail Ibrahim said Mr Awad had a wife, four children and an elderly mother-in-law, and they hoped the crossing’s safety would be improved.

Mr Awad’s car was hit by a northbound train about 1.50pm on Tuesday. He was flown to Wellington Hospital in a critical condition with head and arm injuries.

He is in a serious condition in inten- sive care, and in an induced coma. Mr Awad, believed to be in his late 40s, fled Somalia and spent 17 years in refugee camps in northern Africa.

He gained a business degree in Sudan before arriving in New Zealand and became a key figure in establishing support organisations for refugees regionally and nationally.

He has been executive director of Wellington’s Changemakers Refugee Forum, which represents 14 refugee communities, and secretary of the National Refugee Network.

In 2007 he was honoured with a community services medal in the Welling- tonian of the Year Awards. Islamic Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand president Anwar Ghani said the members were very sad about what had happened.

‘‘We are praying for his swift and full recovery and are working to do whatever we can to help his family,’’ Mr Ghani said.

Police said the train was travelling about 65kmh and the driver used the emergency brake as soon as he saw Mr Awad’s car.

The car was shunted about 15 metres before being forced off the tracks. The train driver was shocked but unhurt.