RSE workers still in hospital following bus crash

Questions remain as to what caused a bus to crash in the early hours of Sunday morning, with 30 seasonal workers on board.

Twelve people were hospitalised after the bus rolled onto its side near Rotorua, with the injured airlifted to Waikato, Taupō, and Rotorua hospitals.

RSE workers' liaison Sefita Hao'uli says four people are still in hospital.

“One of them has got a very deep laceration on his thigh where obviously he was on the wrong side of the bus and as they were driving along the road, I think that’s where most of the damage came from.

“Of the five that were in Waikato hospital, three have been discharged, and two are still being looked at.

“One of them, unfortunately, has got a fractured upper arm, the other one has got deep lacerations around the abdomen area.”

Others have been discharged but need to see a doctor today for ongoing medical care.

The passengers, many from the remote island of Foa, Ha’apai, had just landed in Auckland, getting in just after midnight. Speaking to William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Hao’uli said the crash is the last thing you’d expect.

“It's not unusual that we have people being moved about at that time of the morning. We're dictated to by when Air New Zealand flies, and for workers who are in the North Island, most employers would supply the transport to take them from the airport immediately to where they are employed.”

The police reported a bus rolling at the intersection of Broadlands and Allens Road at around 7.30am on Sunday morning, and a spokesperson told 1News it could take “months for the cause of the crash to be established.”

Hao’uli advised people to wait for the report and not to speculate on the cause of the crash.

“The driver, as we understand it, was an experienced driver, but she drove up from Hastings to Auckland in order to pick up the passengers as opposed to a driver being supplied from Auckland to take the workers.

“We do have some accounts from the workers, most of them were actually asleep.

“But we understood that one of our group leaders was awake and that in his account he said he alerted the driver to what was happening.”

Mr Apple spokesperson Gary Jones said the accident is disappointing and their complete focus is on the men's wellbeing.

"There'll be some new ones, but many of these workers have been here many times.

"Through COVID, when they were stuck here for a long, long time, our community wrapped around them, our churches, and we'll just be reestablishing all those connections as they arrive."

More than 20,000 RSE workers come to the country each year which exposes them to hazards, said Jones.

"That's a lot of time on the roads, travelling, and we just have to make sure that we have all the systems possible to keep them safe at all times, both on the job and travelling, and we absolutely do that, and we'll have a look at what we're doing here to make sure that if there's anything we can improve, we'll improve."

Immigration NZ national manager Pacific Mike Sorensen said their thoughts and best wishes go out to the individuals and families affected and they are "working closely with Mr Apple and Tongan authorities to provide assistance and support".

This accident follows another crash involving RSE workers in August on State High 1 near Ramarama, where three people were killed.

The area where the bus rolled. Photo/Google Maps