Deadly clash

A FIGHT allegedly over ownership of land where the PNG Liquefied Natural Gas facility is proposed to be built outside Port Moresby has left four people dead and two critically injured.
Police said late last night that the fight was between Boera and Porebada villagers.
A row has been brewing for some time over ownership of the land, and which landowner company legitimately represents the interest of landowners and villagers associated with the block of land known as Portion 152 given away for the development of the PNG LNG Project.
NCD police operations commander, Supt Andy Bawa, said last night that four people were killed and two others were critically injured and rushed to hospital.
He said the fight appears to be over ownership of land, and started around 2pm yesterday when Porebada villagers launched an attack on Boera village.
Supt Bawa said Boera villagers retaliated, killing four people and burning down three houses.
“Two other people are critically injured and are in hospital. Their condition is very serious. A police mobile unit has been sent to the area. The situation there is very tense and volatile. I’m dispatching a support unit again to the area tonight (last night),” Supt Bawa said.
“The killings occurred today (yesterday). The fight started around 2 o’clock,” he said.
Developers of the PNG LNG Project plan to build an LNG liquefaction plant, storage and loading facilities at Portion 152. The ownership of this land, and its lease to the State, to be made available for the project, is a subject of dispute between clans from the area.
The plant, storage and loading facilities will cost US$7 billion to build and the contract was recently awarded to Japanese company Chiyoda.
Boera clan leader Raho Kevau, when contacted yesterday, said he was stranded in Port Moresby and was not able to contact people in the village about the situation.
“Something has gone wrong and this has happened. I don’t know what it is and what was the cause. Whether it is land or some youths getting drunk and throwing stones, but I will get more details tomorrow (today),” Mr Kevau said.