Frieda River heading north to join the Sepik River. Photo: Facebook - SEPIK Capital, PNG - Wewak Urban Local Level Government
A lack of manpower and resources is hampering police efforts to restore law and order after a massacre in Papua New Guinea.
Local media are reporting 26 men, women and children were killed after violent attacks on three remote villages in East Sepik over what is believed to have been a land dispute.
According to the United Nations, the death toll could rise to 50 amid reports that houses have been torched and over 200 villagers have fled the area.
RNZ Pacific correspondent in PNG Scott Waide said local police are simply outnumbered.
"In Angoram district police presence is very limited - in some cases there are just one reserve policeman, or two, in locations," he said.
"So it's difficult for that one person or two people to maintain law and order."
The National newpaper reports police saying the killings and burning of houses took place at Tambari village, 20km from Angoram town, starting on 16 July.
Allan Bird Photo: Facobook / Allan Bird
East Sepik Governor, Allan Bird, told ABC that the violence in PNG "is getting worse" and the "lack of justice is a problem".
The province's acting police commander James Baugen and senior health officials visited the scene last weekend.
Baugen said two locals found at the site were told to leave immediately. The other villagers had fled.
The police commander also reported sightings of mutilated bodies, including infants and children, and said due to the state of the corpses, proper burial was unlikely.
"Last Tuesday at around 4am, 33 men... armed with guns, wire catapult, spears, knives and axes entered Agrumara and killed Caspar Paio and his four-year-old son and another man, Norbert Mangambi," PPC Baugen said.
"On Thursday (July 18), the same group went to Tambari village at around 5am while everyone was asleep, some in makeshift shelters."
Baugen said there was the murder of eight adults, three men and five women, and 13 children aged between six and 16 years old, and the burning down of 30 houses.
UNICEF PNG representative Angela Kearney said the attacks were indicative of a disturbing trend of tribal violence aimed at the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.
"What happened in East Sepik strikes at the heart of what we stand against - blatant disregard for life and dignity, particularly of the most defenceless among us."
UN resident coordinator in the country, Richard Howard, said the UN was working with the government to provide support to the affected communities.
"We look forward to working with the Government of Papua New Guinea and other partners to ensure that the survivors receive the necessary support; such atrocities do not go unpunished; and underlying conditions in the affected communities are addressed so that these atrocities are prevented in the future."
The UN High Commissioner for human rights Volker Turk has expressed horror and shock at the deadly violence.
Turk urged the authorities to conduct prompt, impartial and transparent investigations and to ensure those responsible are held to account.