Sixteen bus victims still in hospital

Press, 30 November 1987, Page 3

Sixteen bus victims still in hospital

Sixteen elderly Australians are still in Timaru Hospital after last Wednesday’s fatal bus crash on the Mount Cook highway. One, a man, is in intensive care.

He was reported as being in a stable condition last evening. The 15 others were satisfactory. The accident happened about 14km from Lake Pukaki as a tour party of 47 Australians was travelling by Mount Cook bus from Mount Cook to Queenstown.

Mrs Elizabeth Sanderson, of Perth, was killed in the accident. She had been travelling with her husband, John. Yesterday Mr Sanderson, and the couple’s son, Lance, who had flown from Australia after the accident, accom-

panled her body back to Perth.

Lance Sanderson was one of about 10 relatives who flew to Timaru to be with members of the tour party. They were flown out by Mount Cook with the assistance of Air New Zealand. Two more relatives are expected to arrive in Timaru today, according to Mount Cook’s public affairs manager, Mr Ted Beckett.

Twenty-one of the original tour party have continued their tour. They will be joined by another three in Rotorua tomorrow. Of the three, two had been in hospital after the accident.

Nine of the party not hospitalised were taken yesterday on a farm visit

near Timaru by Mount Cook.

The company has stationed three- of its staff in Timaru to help the members of the party. Its Landline product manager, Mr Tim Hunter, and the company’s personnel manager, Mr John Rich, are providing liaison at the hospital. Ms Trish Inglis, a travel specialist, is arranging travel for the passengers.

The company’s Timarubased New Zealand freight line manager, Mr Hugh Gamer, had also been providing assistance, said Mr Beckett. The team would remain in Timaru as long as the passengers were there. Six of the Australian party have returned home.