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Manus Island refugee dies after bus incident

Buses full of refugees are pictured arriving at one of the alternative centres on Manus Island.

Buses full of refugees are pictured arriving at one of the alternative centres on Manus Island. Photo: Behrouz Boochani

Police on Manus Island say a refugee has died after jumping from a moving bus.

The Rohingya man was travelling from refugee accommodation into the island’s main town shortly after 11:00am local time when he jumped from the vehicle.

Police say the man’s body has been taken to the local hospital and officers are interviewing other refugees who witnessed the incident.

Journalist and Kurdish refugee Behrouz Boochani said it was not clear whether or not the man’s death was an accident.

“The Rohingya refugee who died in Manus today had a long history of epilepsy,” Boochani wrote on Twitter.

“Police [are] now investigating the case of the refugee who died today on Manus.

“Two years ago he was sent to Australia for medical treatment but they sent him back to Manus again without providing him with medical treatment. He was suffering for a long time.”

The man is the seventh asylum-seeker from Manus Island to die under Australia’s offshore processing regime.

More to come.

-ABC

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