30 dead, several wounded in intercommunal conflict in Papua New Guinea
Reinforcements are being sent from the mainland to contain the situation and avoid further escalations.
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Map of the Trobriand Islands
Local police confirmed on Tuesday the death of 30 people and several injuries as a result of inter-communal violence on Papua New Guinea's Kiriwina Island, part of the country's remote Trobriand Islands.
According to Provincial Police Commander Peter Barkie in a statement to AFP, the longtime dispute between two local football teams on Kiriwina Island first broke out earlier this year in light of the general elections, with Barkie adding that residents of three villages barged into a government office on Monday. Police and "even church elders could not contain the fight" and things "got out of hand" following the "destruction of food gardens".
The Trobriand Islands are located in the South Pacific and are famous for their coral gardens that produce bananas, yams, and taro vegetables. However, the area has been struggling with a rapidly increasing population and the climate crisis, which has made harvests more difficult.
The mainland is currently transferring reinforcements to contain the situation further.
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