Four students are dead and 20 people, including students and other bystanders, were injured after a clash between Mt Hagen Secondary School and Hagen Park Secondary School students last Friday.
Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority’s acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jane Holden, and Dr John McKup Jr., the specialist medical officer in the emergency department and the Mt Hagen General Hospital, said apart from the four deaths, 20 others sustained injuries. Four are in critical condition while the others have minor injuries.
Ms Holden said of those who sustained injuries were two girls, aged thirteen (13) and sixteen (16), while the rest were males.
The fight broke out in town and was believed to have continued from a previous fight a few weeks ago.
The cause is unknown and police investigations are still underway.
Despite police giving awareness and advise to students to refrain from school fights, the students have not heeded the warning.
Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Chief Superintendent Joe Puri said on Saturday that he went to the two schools during the week to advise and make an awareness on fights and its consequences, but the words fell on deaf ears because the fight started again on Friday afternoon, leading to deaths and injuries.
I am sick and tired of such behaviors being displayed by students.
I condemn such school fights in public places because opportunists take advantage and will do anything to them or to others. They (opportunists) will start looting buildings and shops, bag snatching and other crimes will escalate too, because it will create an opportunity for them to do anything and no one will know as it is happening in a public place and they can easily get away without being recognized or identified.
Puri
Chief Supt. Puri said the police intervened to contain the situation on Friday and at the moment he cannot disclose any more information because their Criminal Investigations Division (CID) personnel are conducting investigations.
We have also requested the presence of our Special Service Division (SSD) unit which was sent to Hela Province to return so they can monitor the situation on the ground.
Chief Supt. Puri
He urged students to adhere to advise and refrain from fighting and concentrate on their studies, as it is the whole purpose of them being students.
The newspaper tried to reach the principals of Hagen Park and Mt Hagen Secondary schools for comments but the effort was unsuccessful.
