Port Moresby: At least 15 people were killed in riots across Papua New Guinea’s two largest cities and protests descended into rioting and looting.
Hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital city after the police went on strike over a pay dispute, resulting in mass looting of supermarkets, while cars and shops were set ablaze. As a result of the unrest, the government has deployed the army to try and restore order.
Eight people died in the capital Port Moresby while seven more were killed in Lae in the country’s north, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported, citing an update from police.
Before the unrest erupted, police personnel and public servants staged a protest on Wednesday outside Parliament after found out that their salaries had been reduced by up to 50 percent.
According to Prime Minister James Marape, up to about $100 had been deducted from the paychecks of public servants because of a computer glitch, and debunked claims by protesters that the government was raising taxes.
Ambulance officials said they had attended to several shooting injuries, while the US embassy reported shots near its compound.
