Angry passengers damage service station

 A SERVICE station in Goroka was damaged by passengers and drivers on tulaittulait buses travelling through from Madang and Lae last Friday night, police said.

Eastern Highlands provincial police commander David Seine Jnr said it was a “stupid act by people with sick minds”.

He blamed the incident on the extended trading hours of alcohol and the presence of people from other provinces squatting in Goroka.

“Police will do their best to identify those responsible from the Upper Highlands region and deal with them and lay appropriate charges with normal police process to take effect,” Seine said.

Service station owner Gipsy Paito said PMV buses ferrying bags of betelnuts and passengers from Madang and Lae caused the damage he said was worth at tens of thousands of kina.

It is believed that a group of drunken youths at 5-Mile had attacked one of the buses which was travelling in a convoy. The others stopped but the youths had fled.

Angry passengers and drivers then vented their anger on the service station.