Tongan police keep mum on origins of horrific accident photos

WARNING: This article contains a graphic image. You have been warned. 

Tongan Police remain tight-lipped in the face of requests from Kaniva News to confirm whether graphic photos shared on social media this week were related to an accident in Halaleva we reported on Saturday 3.

In that story, we reported that a van overturned on a road in Halaleva.

Our report was based on information and a photo of the overturned van provided to us by an eye witness.

The eyewitness only confirmed the incident had occurred, its place of occurrence and when it had happened. No further information was available to us.

This week horrific photos emerged on Facebook apparently linked to the incident we reported.

We sent the photos to Police and asked them to confirm whether they were linked to the accident in Halaleva but we have yet to receive any response.

The photos were accompanied by captions saying they were taken at an accident in Halaleva on Saturday 3.

One of the photos showed a van similar to the one we reported lying overturned on the road.

Photo/Facebook

Another photo showed a seriously injured man lying on the ground near a retail store while some people apparently tried to help him including one man showed fanning the victim with a piece of cardboard.

Another man with his foot in plaster was seen being carried away on a hospital trolley while a woman, apparently a medic, was assisting him.

Photo/Facebook

Traffic accidents have become a grave concern to many Tongans. They regularly comment on and discuss the issues on Kaniva’s social media pages when we reported road accidents in Tonga.

Photo/Facebook

Critics said it appeared there was a traffic accident in Tonga every week. They said the high frequency of the accidents was intimidating given the tiny size of Tonga and its small population.

The main points

  • Tongan Police remain tight-lipped in the face of requests from Kaniva News to confirm whether graphic photos shared on social media this week were related to an accident in Halaleva we reported on Saturday 3.
  • In that story, we reported that a van overturned on a road in Halaleva.
  • Our report was based on information and a photo of the overturned van provided to us by an eye witness.
  • This week horrific photos emerged on Facebook apparently linked to the incident we reported.

For more information

Van overturns in Halaleva

About The Author

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Right now Kaniva News provides a free, politically independent, bilingual news service for readers around the world that is absolutely unique. We are the largest New Zealand-based Tongan news service, and our stories reach Tongans  wherever they are round the world. But as we grow, there are increased demands on Kaniva News for translation into Tongan on our social media accounts and for the costs associated with expansion. We believe it is important for Tongans to have their own voice and for Tongans to preserve their language, customs and heritage. That is something to which we are strongly committed. That’s why we are asking you to consider sponsoring our work and helping to preserve a uniquely Tongan point of view for our readers and listeners.

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