Man dies on APY Lands after large fight breaks out, police say

Mon 13 Jul 2026 at 7:22am

Mon 13 Jul 2026 at 7:22am

A man has died after a fight broke out on South Australia's APY Lands, with police investigating whether his death was the result of a medical episode.

Police said they responded to reports of "a large group of people fighting" at Pukatja, 30 kilometres south of the Northern Territory border, about 10:50am on Sunday.

They said a 59-year-old man who was believed to be involved sought medical attention at the town clinic.

"While receiving treatment, he subsequently died," police said in a statement.

"Police are investigating if the man's death was as a result of a medical episode."

Police have described the incident as a "violent disturbance" and are continuing to investigate.

They said they remained at the scene to speak with those involved and engage with the community.

The Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands are a vast, 103,000-square-kilometre Aboriginal local government area in the remote north-west of South Australia.

Police have asked anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.