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Airport memorial service for Tongan seasonal workers [1]

Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Friday, August 12, 2016 - 19:17

Photos by Telesia Parton

Memorial service in Tonga for New Zealand crash victims. 12 August 2016.

The bodies of four Tongan seasonal workers who were killed in a horrific car crash near Tauranga in New Zealand earlier this month arrived at Fua’amotu International Airport this morning, Friday August 12.

A memorial and prayer service was held for the victims Koli Vaipulu, his son Sitiveni Vaipulu, Sione Teulaka, and Samuela Taukatelata at the airport, attended by bereaved and heartbroken families.

Prime Minister Hon ‘Akilisi Pohiva, some cabinet members and the New Zealand High Commissioner HE Sarah Walsh laid wreaths in front of the caskets.

On the night of 2 August, the victims were leaving work in a car that collided with a logging truck on State Highway 2 near Katikati. All five men in the car, including Halani Fine, a New Zealand resident died.

The victims were workers at Aongatete Coolstores and had just finished their shift.

Tongan Prime Minister, Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva at the Memorial service for seasonal workers. 12 August 2016.
Fua'amotu Airport. Memorial service for seasonal workers. 12 August 2016.
Tonga [2]
crash victims [3]
seasonal workers [4]
memorial service [5]
Koli Vaipulu [6]
road deaths [7]
People [8]

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Source URL:https://matangitonga.to/2016/08/12/airport-memorial-service-tongan-seasonal-workers

Links
[1] https://matangitonga.to/2016/08/12/airport-memorial-service-tongan-seasonal-workers [2] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tonga?page=1 [3] https://matangitonga.to/tag/crash-victims?page=1 [4] https://matangitonga.to/tag/seasonal-workers?page=1 [5] https://matangitonga.to/tag/memorial-service?page=1 [6] https://matangitonga.to/tag/koli-vaipulu?page=1 [7] https://matangitonga.to/tag/road-deaths?page=1 [8] https://matangitonga.to/topic/people?page=1