Brawl over failed compo
MORE than 1,000 Eastern Highlanders and Engans were involved in a fight at Omili in Lae yesterday afternoon.
Several people sustained injuries – one was seen holding his head with a gash dripping with blood and running into Kamkumung settlement.
Traffic was halted, market stalls were damaged and vendors caught in the melee were seen running scared from the Awagasi market.
Police at the Omili station, where the issue was being resolved, immediately called in back-up to quell any further violence.
The fight had started when Eastern Highlanders were dissatisfied with a compensation claim.
They had demanded K10,000 from the Engans for last week’s grievous knifing of one of their men.
The amount the Engans put up at yesterday’s peace ceremony at Omili Police station was K5,000.
Dissatisfied, the Eastern Highlanders demanded the original claim be met.
The demand rose to a tirade of shouts between the two sides and then flared into an all-out brawl.
Sticks and stones were hurled at each other.
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