A helicopter pilot who evacuated members of a trekking group targetted in a deadly attack on Tuesday in Papua New Guinea's Morobe Province says such violence is not normal for the area.
Two local porters with the group were killed in an attack with bush knives on the remote Black Cat Track.
Several others in the group, including Australians and a New Zealander, suffered knife wounds.
The foreigners among the trekkers were robbed before walking out from the bush to raise the alarm.
James McKinstry, who flies choppers with Pacific Helicopters, says some of the trekkers had slashed achilles tendons so couldn't walk out.
A group from Wau walked up to where the group was, and then helped make a clearance for the helicopter to land.
Mr McKinstry, who has extensive experience flying in the region, says the attack comes as a knockback to the burgeoning tourism industry.
"The Black Cat Track, although they don't get huge numbers over it, they've had a tourist operation there one way or another for the past fifteen years and never really a problem. So we're fairly surprised. But - given that it's Papua new Guinea - we're never totally surprised with what things can happen up here."
James McKinstry
