Hagen fight leaves two dead

A FIGHT at Mt Hagen service station on Sunday night has resulted in the death of two young men.
Several others suffered injuries in the fight between drunks and staff of the Eagle Fuel Distributors service station.
Police confirmed Paiya Nuini Kang, 22, of the Moge Okupuga clan from Manda village in the Mul-Baiyer electorate was killed during the fight which started at 10pm on Sunday.
Acting Western Highlands provincial police commander Nelson Gihigupa said another body was found on Monday at Girimb Creek, some metres away from where the fight started.
The body was identified as Aloma Jimi, 22, of the Kulga Pinka clan from Malda village, Tambul-Nebilyer, Western Highlands. 
“Police could not identify this killing because Jimi’s body was found the next day but is believed to be related to the fight,” Gihigupa said.
Kang was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead at the hospital.
“Many others could have suffered injuries but we have not received a full report yet and the CID unit is investigating the incident,” Gihigupa added.
Eagle Fuel Distributors managing director MacQuinnie Waia called on leaders from Nebilyer and Hagen central to find out the cause of the problem that resulted in the two deaths and his service station badly damaged.
Waia said the damage done to his business was worth hundreds of thousands of kina.
 “The fight started in the night with my staff and a group of drunkards at the service station,” Waia said yesterday.
He said his staff were about to close up when the fight broke out.
“I’m still in a shock. I want an investigation into it, how it started and the motive for the destruction.
“I have no idea why they attacked my business and then started a fight with my staff,” Waia said.
“When the drunks confronted my staff, a fight broke out then one of my staff from the Moge tribe (Kang) was killed after receiving knife wounds.”
Gihigupa appealed to anyone with information on the killing and the fight come forward to help police with the investigation.
“It was a good start when we saw youths taking the initiative to clean up the city,” Gihigupa said.
“This was what both police and the leaders want but now what has happened here has painted a very bad picture.”
He said with the PNG LNG gas project in Hela, Mt Hagen was the central location to trade and do business, and that was why people must respect law and order.