A brawl between Highlands students at the PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment’s (PNGUNRE) Vudal campus in East New Britain has left one dead, a senior police officer says.
ENB police commander Chief Insp Joseph Tabali said the brawl took place on Saturday between 9pm and 10pm, between students from Southern Highlands and Chimbu.
He said the brawl happened when drunk students from Southern Highlands disturbed other students who were studying for examinations.
The student who died was identified as Jayson Boaba, 24, from Genewaugla village, Chimbu.
A third-year student, Stanley Herbert, 24, from Limbo village, Southern Highlands, was arrested and charged with murder and is in custody at the Kerevat Police Station.
Chief Insp Tabali said Hebert and some students allegedly got drunk on Saturday night at the school campus and were making noise and disturbing other students.
He said some of the students who were studying approached Herbert and his friends to tell them to stop disturbing everyone and a fight broke out.
Chief Insp Tabali said Herbert and other drunk students allegedly used knives to attack the other students, however, the university’s security officers intervened to stop the fight.
The following morning, between 7am and 8am, Boaba, who was one of the students injured in the fight the previous night, went to Hebert’s room with other students to settle the matter.
Herbert allegedly attacked Boaba with a bush knife, fatally wounding him on his right shoulder.
Boaba was rushed to the Nonga Hospital but died later.