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Asylum seeker dies on Manus Island

An asylum seeker has died on Manus Island, police have confirmed.

“We had a suicide of a refugee at the Lorengau hospital in the early hours of this morning,” Manus Island Police Commander David Yapu told Fairfax Media.

The Lorengau hospital is 25 kilometres from the detention centre where more than 700 male asylum seekers are currently detained.

The death is the second suicide on Manus in the past two months.

The Refugee Action Coalition's Ian Rintoul said there were no facilities on Lorengau to provide proper assistance to mentally distressed people.

“The death has increased the anxiety and distress among all the refugees and asylum seekers on Manus as they struggle with their own circumstances,” he said.

“There are two other extremely mentally distressed people who urgently need assistance.”

Yapu said he arrived back from Port Moresby on Monday morning and Manus Island police were still investigating.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has been contacted for comment.


SOURCE: SMH
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