Bus crash survivors

Kaniva News understands they were offered the chance to fly back to Tonga on Saturday along with the bodies of Sione Taumālolo and Talita Moimoi Fifita, but elected to stay.

The deceased will be accompanied by a number of delegations, including one made up of Tongans living in New Zealand.

The passengers on the bus were from the Mailefihi Siuʻilikutapu college brass band. They were raising money for the Tongan school’s 70th anniversary.

Rev. Filise appeared on a video this morning recorded at the mortuary where the deceased are being kept and was heard describing their conditions as “faka’ofa” (pitiful).

Student Sione Taumololo, 11, and a mother and wife Talita Fifita, 33, were killed when the bus on which they were travelling crashed  through a road barrier and 100 metres down a bank on State Highway Two about 30km south of Gisborne at 9.30pm on Saturday.

They were among 53 members of a group travelling with the Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu college brass band which was on a fundraising tour of New Zealand.

Tongan citizens Sione Taumalolo, 11, and Talita Moimoi, 33 died when the bus went off the road near Gisborne.

Newstalk ZB reports many more were injured. 

The bus was carrying students and teachers from a Tongan college, who were here to perform a church concert on Christmas Day. There were 53 people onboard.

Local woman Kristina Williams, who was one of the first people on the scene, said she started the page in an effort to help.