Australian survivors of deadly PNG Black Cat Track attack arrive in Port Moresby

Updated

Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill has condemned an attack on a group of Australian tourists, saying their assailants will face the death penalty when caught.

The group of Australian trekkers, who were speared and slashed in the deadly attack, arrived in Port Moresby on Wednesday afternoon.

The incident, in which two porters were killed, happened Tuesday along the popular Black Cat Track in the nation's northern Morobe province.

PNG police spokesman Dominic Kakas said the porters were hacked to death with machetes and four of the trekkers were badly assaulted, including one who was speared.

"One of the expatriates was speared through the left leg, one was slashed on the arm, another suffered severe lacerations to the head and another also had severe cuts," he said.

Key points: Australian trekkers attacked by group of six machete-wielding robbers

Two local porters killed in the attack

Seven porters suffer serious injuries

Australian victims arrive in Port Moresby

DFAT warns trekkers to avoid Black Cat Track

Black Cat Track runs from Salamaua to Wau



"Some of the other porters were more seriously injured.

"There were six in the mob that attacked them," he added, with all escaping. "One had a rifle, another a home-made gun, as well as bush knives and spears."

The group, which included seven Australians and a New Zealander, had set up camp for the night and were in their tents sheltering from rain when the attack happened.

After a rescue mission reached them, the trekkers were brought into Wau where they received medical attention and spent the night before travelling to Port Moresby this afternoon.

The porters that sustained more serious injuries were airlifted to Lae for treatment.

PNG prime minister Peter O'Neill said the attack was an "obvious setback" as the poverty-stricken nation seeks to increase tourism, and vowed capital punishment for those found responsible under tough new laws passed in May.

"I make no apology whatsoever for the death penalty being the punishment available to be applied for such crimes," Mr O'Neill said of the "appalling" violence.

'Out of character for the area'

In an interview with the ABC, Mark Hitchcock, a spokesman for tour operator PNG Trekking Adventures, said workers at a local mining company helped the injured trekkers walk to a medical clinic at their nearby camp.

"(The details) are a little sketchy but the trekkers were confronted and their possessions were stolen and unfortunately our porters had had some fatalities in the process of the confrontation," he said.

"We're unsure of the number (of attackers). It all happened very quickly. We're also unsure of the weapons involved. It was a quick and unexpected event. The trekkers were stunned and shocked.

"Immediately we got our contacts at the mining joint venture and they sent local people, medical people and police from Wau to meet the trekkers.

"They were then assessed and when I last spoke to them they were comfortable, eating and talking.

"They’re obviously deeply shocked but otherwise in good spirits."

Mr Hitchcock said the attack was totally out of character for the track.



One of the expatriates was speared through the left leg, one was slashed on the arm, another suffered severe lacerations to the head and another also had severe cuts. PNG police spokesman Dominic Kakas

"Myself and my wife have been here 23 years and operating over 10 years and have never experienced anything like this before. We're deeply shocked," he said

The motive for the attack was not clear, although some reports suggested it could be related to a disagreement between porters from PNG's lowlands and locals living in the highlands.

Major Charlie Lynn, New South Wales MLC MP and a Kokoda tour operator, says locals have been unhappy at missing out on profits from tourism in the area.

"I have friends of mine who have got trekking companies that go up there and they've been almost at their wits' end, because neither PNG tourism nor the Australian Government have expressed any interest in addressing those sort of issues up there," he said.

Trekkers warned to avoid Black Cat Track

In the wake of the attack, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) is advising trekkers to avoid the track until local police have investigated the incident.

"Our travel advice for Papua New Guinea advises Australians to exercise a high degree of caution because of the high levels of serious crime," the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, Acting Foreign Minister Tanya Plibersek has offered her condolences to the families and friends of the porters.

"Our thoughts are also with those injured, including up to six Australians, a New Zealander, and several PNG nationals," Ms Plibersek said.

"This was a savage and unprovoked assault by what may have been a gang of thieves.

"I'm advised PNG authorities will investigate the attack and that the group's trekking company has arranged medical treatment for the injured

"Our High Commission is also providing consular assistance and will meet with the Australians when they return to Port Moresby."

Crime in PNG is rampant, including in the capital Port Moresby where in June four Chinese nationals were hacked to death, with one reportedly beheaded and the others dismembered.

Brutality against women is particularly endemic.

In April, a US academic was gang-raped while she was trekking along a jungle trail with her husband and a guide.

After the Kokoda Track, the Black Cat Track is one of the most popular treks in PNG.

It is a rough track that runs from the village of Salamaua on the coast of the Huon Gulf, south into the mountains to the town of Wau.

It originally started as a trail for gold prospectors heading to Wau.

The trail saw heavy fighting between Australian and Japanese troops during World War II.

Map: Papua New Guinea's Black Cat Track

ABC/AFP

Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, travel-health-and-safety, travel-and-tourism, murder-and-manslaughter, papua-new-guinea, qld, australia, pacific

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