The fight stemmed from a land grabbing incident between two settlers at Five-Mile.
Lae Metropolitan Superintendent, Chris Kunyanban, said the Five-Mile ethnic clash started on Sunday when a Wabag man attempted to grab an area within a rice field that had already been claimed by a Goroka man.
Whilst arguing, the Wabag took his knife and slashed another Goroka man. The 31-year-old died instantly.
