Papua New Guinea Defence Force personnel have fired shots into the Manus Island detention centre after a fight with asylum seekers, detainees say.
Key points:
- Detainees claim at least 100 rounds were fired during the incident
- “It’s crazy, many people are in shock,” an Iranian refugee said
- Police said they were not sure who the attackers were
Detainees in the centre took cover after a large group of men stormed the gates of the centre about 6:30pm local time on Friday.
The detainees said Australian staff ran for cover after locking the gates.
Some sheltered inside the centre with asylum seekers while others were seen running for a boat moored nearby.
The shooting was reportedly in response to an earlier fight between asylum seekers and PNG Defence Force personnel from the adjacent Lombrum Naval Base.
Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection said in a statement one man had been injured by a rock thrown into the centre but other residents were safe.
“There are reports PNG military personnel discharged a weapon into the air during the incident,” the statement said.
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