The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force has reported that over 200 heavily rusted projectiles that once belonged to the US armed forces were found near the home of a school employee.
-
This handout photo taken and released by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) on August 20, 2024, shows unexploded ordnance – or UXOs – being removed by members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department (EODD) at St. Nicholas School in the capital city of Honiara. (Photo by Handout / Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) / AFP)
Workers at a school in the Solomon Islands made a surprising discovery on Tuesday when they uncovered a cache of World War II munitions while digging a hole for a new sewage system.
The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force reported that over 200 heavily corroded projectiles that once belonged to the US armed forces were found near the home of a school employee.
Dive deeper
The munitions are a relic of the fierce fighting between Japanese and American troops that took place in the Solomon Islands during the war. These unexploded ordnance (UXOs) pose a continuing threat to the South Pacific archipelago and can continue to cause damage decades later.
Inspector Clifford Tunuki said the dangerous stockpile had been safely moved to a secure location awaiting proper destruction. He described the discovery as an “eye-opener” and underlined the ongoing risks posed by unexploded war munitions.
Photos from the scene show police officers manually digging out the rusted ordnance with shovels. The discovery underscores the ongoing threat of unexploded ordnance in the region, a concern that tragically led to the deaths of two foreign bomb disposal experts in Honiara in 2020 while mapping old munitions dumps.
Read more: The new Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands promises friendly relations with China
