PAPUA NEW GUINEA – There are fears for the wellbeing of a number of students who remain missing after Wednesday’s unrest at the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby when police opened fire on students at the University of PNG ahead of a planned rally at parliament.

After police stopped students from leaving their campus and ordered them to disembark, tensions boiled over and some police started shooting.

Police said 23 people were reportedly injured from the unrest but said that no one was killed.

However, nearly 24 hours on, dozens of students are unaccounted for.

A student, Zacharia Yakap, described a scene of chaos with hundreds of students fleeing after police opened fire.

“The students went everywhere and since the police were even running into the campus looking for students, the students ran into nearby bushes where the police also followed through and shot them,” he said.

“So at this moment we’re not really sure where whoever is. It’s like they’ve just shot where ever they were. So those that we could find and those that could make their way towards public help made it to the hospital and we’re not certain of where the others are.”

One eyewitness, David Rupa, told the BBC he was on his way to work when he became caught in the protest at about 8.50am local time.

He said he could see tear gas and people running for cover and heard shots fired.

“I saw policemen hit and kick girls who couldn’t run fast enough and were bashed up. I cried and was told I will be shot if I was going to take photos or video.”

He also said he had seen smoke coming from a dormitory at the university, and that parents were coming down to the campus to make sure their children were not hurt.

There are pictures online of a university building on fire.

Police also reportedly fired tear gas to disperse an angry mob gathered at Port Moresby General Hospital.

“There is a very big clash with the public and with the police just outside the Port Moresby General Hospital,” the hospital official told Reuters by telephone, adding: “There is also shooting going on, open gunfire.”

Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea’s capital is in partial shutdown mode today following the earlier unrest.

Reports emerging from Port Moresby indicate that public transport vehicles are not running and that businesses are closed.

Hubert Namani, a lawyer and business leader, said public transport had been halted and people were fleeing the streets.

“People are looting and rioting and sort of revolting, so the police are now caught trying to manage all of that,” he told Reuters by phone from Port Moresby.

“All of the businesses are closing down, I’ve closed off my offices and sent everybody off for half the day.”

Police say calm was restored after Wednesday’s unrest.

However citizens have expressed outrage at the police response to a peaceful student crowd, and student representatives have not ruled out more mass mobilisations in coming days.

Police are also on high alert in the cities of Mt Hagen or Lae where students have rallied to express opposition to the police actions in the capital as well, as their continued call for the prime minister, Peter O’Neill, to stand down.

O’Neill has reportedly flown out to China.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she had spoken to Australia’s High Commissioner to PNG, Bruce Davis, about the shootings.

“I know students have been shot but we are still trying to determine whether there have been deaths and how many have been injured,” she said.

“We call on all sides for calm to de-escalate the tensions and certainly call on all sides to respect the peaceful and lawful right to protest.

The Federal Government has confirmed all of the Australian Federal Police officers deployed in PNG have been accounted for.

- PNC sources