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| PNG prime minister calls for death penalty for trek attack | PNG prime minister calls for death penalty for trek attack |
| (6 days later) | |
| The Papua New Guinea prime minister, Peter O'Neill, has condemned the machete attack on a trekking party in which two porters were hacked to death and invoked the nation's death penalty. | The Papua New Guinea prime minister, Peter O'Neill, has condemned the machete attack on a trekking party in which two porters were hacked to death and invoked the nation's death penalty. |
| "These are appalling crimes, and they attract the death penalty under laws passed by the national parliament since the last election," he said. | "These are appalling crimes, and they attract the death penalty under laws passed by the national parliament since the last election," he said. |
| The Australian trekkers who survived the attack returned home on Thursday. | The Australian trekkers who survived the attack returned home on Thursday. |
| Eight Australians, one New Zealander and a group of porters were attacked by six people in the PNG jungle while hiking the Black Cat track. Three of the attackers – who were armed with guns, butcher knives and machetes – are believed to be prison escapees and the other three from a rival tribe. | Eight Australians, one New Zealander and a group of porters were attacked by six people in the PNG jungle while hiking the Black Cat track. Three of the attackers – who were armed with guns, butcher knives and machetes – are believed to be prison escapees and the other three from a rival tribe. |
| PNG trackers and police are working to find the group as the PNG prime minister called for the death penalty for what he called an appalling crime. | PNG trackers and police are working to find the group as the PNG prime minister called for the death penalty for what he called an appalling crime. |
| The group were attacked about 2pm PNG time on Tuesday and two of the porters were hacked to death with machetes. One of the Australians was speared in the leg, another had his head slashed by a machete, and about 10 other porters in the group were critically injured and beaten. | The group were attacked about 2pm PNG time on Tuesday and two of the porters were hacked to death with machetes. One of the Australians was speared in the leg, another had his head slashed by a machete, and about 10 other porters in the group were critically injured and beaten. |
| The attackers retreated back into the jungle after stealing passports, mobile phones and other valuables from the group, who were led for four hours back to the village of Wau by Australian nurse Christiana King, who has lived in the country for a few years with her husband and two children. | The attackers retreated back into the jungle after stealing passports, mobile phones and other valuables from the group, who were led for four hours back to the village of Wau by Australian nurse Christiana King, who has lived in the country for a few years with her husband and two children. |
| King and the people in the group who had managed to trek back raised the alarm and the injured were retrieved from the jungle, along with the bodies of the two porters. | King and the people in the group who had managed to trek back raised the alarm and the injured were retrieved from the jungle, along with the bodies of the two porters. |
| Melbourne man Peter Stevens, who suffered leg injuries, said the attackers went for the porters first. | Melbourne man Peter Stevens, who suffered leg injuries, said the attackers went for the porters first. |
| "These guys rushed into the camp area and they went into the porters lines and just started hacking and slashing basically," he told the Seven Network. | "These guys rushed 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," he said. | "A number of the porters made a break for it, some made it, some didn't," he said. |
| A motive is not yet known for the attack, but reports out of PNG suggest village rivalry in the area could have boiled over. | A motive is not yet known for the attack, but reports out of PNG suggest village rivalry in the area could have boiled over. |
| One of the guns used in the attack was believed to be homemade while the other was a .303 factory-made rifle, but nobody was shot during the attack. | One of the guns used in the attack was believed to be homemade while the other was a .303 factory-made rifle, but nobody was shot during the attack. |
| The Australians were treated in Port Moresby where they were expected to meet with the Australian high commissioner before flying home on Thursday. | The Australians were treated in Port Moresby where they were expected to meet with the Australian high commissioner before flying home on Thursday. |
| Australia has issued a new warning for travellers wanting to walk the Black Cat track, but has kept its travel advice for other notable PNG treks – such as Kokoda – unchanged. | Australia has issued a new warning for travellers wanting to walk the Black Cat track, but has kept its travel advice for other notable PNG treks – such as Kokoda – unchanged. |
| The Black Cat track is known to be tougher than the famous Kokoda track and usually takes about six days for experienced hikers to complete. | The Black Cat track is known to be tougher than the famous Kokoda track and usually takes about six days for experienced hikers to complete. |
| During the second world war Australian and Japanese troops fought on the track and it was used for gold prospecting in the 1920s. | During the second world war Australian and Japanese troops fought on the track and it was used for gold prospecting in the 1920s. |
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