An unexploded ordinance (UXO) went off Thursday evening, at Town Ground, West Honiara in Solomon Islands causing a huge bang and fear within the vicinity.
Reports reaching Solomon Star said, the explosion occurred closed to the Scripture Union building along the Lengakiki road right opposite the Town-ground rugby field.
A person was reportedly injured as a result of the explosion. The victim was rushed to the National Referral Hospital (NRH) and is said to be in a stable condition.
A statement issued by Police Media Unit confirmed; “a casualty has been confirmed in relation to the World War II bomb explode opposite Town ground rugby stadium close to Sol-Lanka shop this evening.”
Its understood the bomb went off due to a fire that was burning near a tree in that area.
The area has been condoned off from the public as police and EOD are now on the site to conduct investigation and deal with any more UXO that might be found there.
All traffic to and from Lengakiki and Mbumburu have been diverted through the Mbokona road.
About four years ago an explosion also went off at the Lengakiki area which claimed the lives of two men and left others injured.
Meanwhile, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) has safely disposed of 6,121 unexploded ordnances (UXOs) across the country in 2024.
Of this total, 3,200 UXOs were cleared in Western Province under Operation Render Safe.
Officer-in-Charge of the EOD Unit, Ansa Puaraua, revealed the figures during his presentation at the National UXO Coordination Meeting in Honiara on Wednesday.
Puaraua said the RSIPF EOD Unit provides a 24-hour operational capability to respond to UXO threats both on land and underwater.
“We also provide search and Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) response and advice to the Solomon Islands Government and the RSIPF on EOD-related matters,” he said.
The EOD Unit currently has 30 officers trained under the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and is equipped with specialist tools and equipment.
“We have underwater capability with 13 trained scuba divers. On average, we recover around 60 UXOs every week in Guadalcanal,” Puaraua said.
He added that the unit conducts around 12 EOD operations to the provinces each year and operates from a dedicated EOD facility, which includes a demolition range.
Looking ahead, Puaraua said the unit hopes to expand training opportunities for both international and provincial EOD operators and increase the duration and reach of their operations.
Emily Davis, Programme Manager of The HALO Trust, said since 2023 the organisation has identified 34,916,816 square metres of hazardous land for sub-surface clearance.
“This area is about half the size of Honiara and larger than Savo Island,” Davis said, adding that 70 percent of the identified hazardous areas are used for residential and agricultural purposes.
She said 3,169 items of explosive remnants of war (ERW) were reported to the police, and HALO Trust teams have visited more than 344 communities across five provinces.
The HALO Trust has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS) and the RSIPF to conduct a nationwide survey of UXO contamination and to build national capacity to address the issue.
The HALO Trust is a UK-based charity specialising in the clearance and management of explosive hazards worldwide. It works alongside The HALO Trust USA, a separate entity established to raise funds for its global activities.
