Pacific

Revelations in Papua New Guinea that six children burnt to death

13:56 pm on 20 August 2010

Papua New Guinea police have revealed that six children were burnt to death in a bushfire last week when they went out picking fruit near a remote Eastern Highlands village.

The Post Courier newspaper reports that the six were believed to be trapped in a gorge surrounded by high cliffs and the Waiyamba river in Okapa District.

The victims were aged between seven and 12.

Police say there's a strong possibility that one of the children might have started a fire which got out of control.

Five of the children were buried immediately while the body of one was taken to Goroka Hospital for a post mortem to be carried out.