Support for Tongan RSE workers involved in serious bus crash destined for Hawke’s Bay

None of the “walking wounded” Tongan RSE workers hurt when their bus travelling to Hawke’s Bay crashed have asked to head home.

The bus carrying the newly-arrived seasonal workers crashed between Rotorua and Taupō on Sunday, which left 11 injured and 19 uninjured.

Mr Apple spokesman Gary Jones Jones told Hawke’s Bay Today four passengers remained in the hospital – two in Waikato Hospital and two in Rotorua Hospital.

“We are optimistic they will be released, potentially to Hawke’s Bay Hospital, later in the week, and we will bring them home,” Jones said.

Jones said the 21 uninjured passengers travelled by a replacement bus, rental cars and Mr Apple vehicles to Hawke’s Bay.

They were tired and sore after their traumatic experience but were met by the local Tongan community, who gathered and shared prayers and food on Sunday.

None, Jones said, wished to return to Tonga.

Assessments were being carried out by Pacifica Health with the passengers and they were working to put together a care plan and organise ACC assistance.

“You have got walking wounded with scrapes and a lot of the workers will be recovering for several days,” Jones said.

Some workers were keen to start working but they wanted to take their time to “get this group right. We want to make sure that we don’t rush anything”, he said.

Jones earlier RNZ the crash was a “tragedy” and said the next step was to wrap the team in support.

“We will just be taking things slowly with the workers and accessing what they want to make sure we put the community arms around them and look after them the best we can.”

A bus with 30 RSE workers set to start work with Mr Apple rolled near Rotorua. Photo / NZME

He was notified of the crash early on Sunday and said it took a little while to understand the situation.

“This was 30 Tongans that arrived as part of a deployment that was coming into Hawke’s Bay to support the apple industry for thinning.”

The bus crash near Rotorua on Sunday.

Jones said out of the 30 workers, 21 finally arrived in Hawke’s Bay on Sunday afternoon and a further five later in the evening.

He said many of the Tongan workers who came in groups are employed for an average of five years and would be in their second or third time in the country.

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The workers were due to start work this week, with a banking induction on Monday.

“We will be having discussions with what they would like to do and how they feel – obviously we will be treading very carefully in that space.”

Jones told RNZ that details of the crash were a separate investigation and expected to learn more as time went on.