SYDNEY, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Violent attacks near Barrick

Gold's ( GOLD ) Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has

likely killed at least 20 people and forced women and children

to flee the region, local media reported.

Papua New Guinea has granted police emergency powers,

including the use of lethal force, to contain the violence in

Porgera between illegal settlers squatting near the gold mine

and local landowners, newspapers Post-Courier and The National

reported late on Sunday.

Barrick Gold ( GOLD ) and PNG Police did not immediately respond to a

request seeking comment.

Several schools, hospitals, banks and other government

services in the regions have been closed due to the violence,

the Post-Courier said in a report.

Home to hundreds of tribes and languages, the Pacific nation

to Australia's north has a long history of tribal warfare.

However, violence has ratcheted up over the past decade as

villagers swapped bows and arrows for military rifles and

elections deepened existing tribal divides.

Violent attacks on three remote villages in July in the

country's north killed 26 people, including 16 children,

according to the United Nations.