One person was killed and 77 were injured during a second night of rioting at an Australian immigration detention centre on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island, officials said on Tuesday.
Thirty-five asylum-seekers broke out of the same facility on Sunday evening, with several hurt, as tensions escalate about their fate under the Australian government’s hardline policies.
Immigration minister Scott Morrison revealed there had been a rolling series of largely peaceful protests, starting a few weeks ago, that culminated in the violence of the last two nights.
‘The news of a death is a great tragedy,’ he said, adding that the man died from a head injury en route to hospital.
‘This is a tragedy but this was a very dangerous situation where people decided to protest in a very violent way and to take themselves outside the centre and place themselves at great risk.’
Of the 77 injured, 13 are in serious condition, including one with a fractured skull and another suffering gunshot wounds to the buttock.
They are both due to be evacuated to Australia for treatment. Manus Island is one of two remote Pacific camps used by Canberra in its punitive off-shore detention policy.
Thirty-five asylum-seekers broke out of the same facility on Sunday evening, with several hurt, as tensions escalate about their fate under the Australian government’s hardline policies.
Immigration minister Scott Morrison revealed there had been a rolling series of largely peaceful protests, starting a few weeks ago, that culminated in the violence of the last two nights.
‘The news of a death is a great tragedy,’ he said, adding that the man died from a head injury en route to hospital.
‘This is a tragedy but this was a very dangerous situation where people decided to protest in a very violent way and to take themselves outside the centre and place themselves at great risk.’
Of the 77 injured, 13 are in serious condition, including one with a fractured skull and another suffering gunshot wounds to the buttock.
They are both due to be evacuated to Australia for treatment. Manus Island is one of two remote Pacific camps used by Canberra in its punitive off-shore detention policy.