A doctor at Mount Hagen Hospital in Papua New Guinea's Western Highlands province says children appear to have been targetted in inter-tribal clashes.
There are unconfirmed reports several people died in clashes between Eastern Highlanders and the Western Highlands Moge tribe at Mount Hagen on Sunday.
Dr Lesley Kawa says 15 men, women and children as young as six were seriously wounded and are receiving treatment at the hospital.
He says they have deep knife wounds to much of their bodies, and it's upsetting to health workers.
"Children and women are just innocent people that have been chopped. I think on the side of these people who actually assaulted this group of people, their behaviour is just uncalled for, and we just think it's just inhuman to do that."
The Police say the situation is under control and peace talks between the parties have begun.
