Drunken brawl ends in death

By MAJELEEN YANEI
A MAN is dead and at least 30 houses and properties have been burnt to ashes in a fight over the weekend in East Sepik’s Urip village in Dagua.
Dagua Local Level Government (LLG) deputy president Cyril Umabut said Walter Kowor was killed on Saturday at around midnight when he tried to break up a fight between drunk youths.
Umabut said one of the youths allegedly slashed Kowor’s head, his left arm and forehead with an axe, which cracked his skull.
Kowor ran for about 20 meters then collapsed. He was taken to Dagua health centre but pronounced died on arrival.
“Kowor was attached with the Rotary donor agency and was the Dagua health centre chairman and land mediator.
He was from Makopin village, married a woman from Urip and was living with his in-laws.
Makopin, which is a kilometre away from Urip and other surrounding villagers retaliated and burnt houses in Urip.
Umabut, the deceased’s first cousin from his paternal side, said it was a big loss to the community.
“He is our spokesperson during disputes and other community organised events,” he said.
Kowor, in his mid-forties is survived by wife Mariana and their only daughter.
Students attending Dagua Secondary School are affected as the tension is still high.
Dagua LLG has about 16,000 people and they need a police station in the area to address crime as most times during such incidents police officers do not attend quickly, Umabut said.
The people thanked Wewak MP Stanley Muts Samban for his prompt response on Sunday in addressing the incident. He took the body to the morgue.
The Urip villagers are originally from Sapuain who migrated during Peter Simogun’s era. Subigen Maguer and Dogur villagers gave them the Urip land.