Blast kills Australian, UK aid workers in Solomon Islands

Forensic officers work at the site of a blast which killed two men who worked for an aid agency that helps to dispose of unexploded bombs in West Honiara, Solomon Islands, at the weekend.
Forensic officers work at the site of a blast which killed two men who worked for an aid agency that helps to dispose of unexploded bombs in West Honiara, Solomon Islands, at the weekend.
Image: ROYAL SOLOMON ISLANDS POLICE FORCE

Two men from Australia and Britain who worked for an aid agency that helps to dispose of unexploded bombs were killed in a blast in Solomon Islands.

It was not immediately clear if the employees of Norwegian People's Aid were trying to defuse live munitions at the time of the explosion in Honiara late on Sunday their employer said on Monday.

Police said the site had to be declared safe before investigators could determine what happened. Australian media reported that the explosion happened in a residential area.

Norwegian People's Aid works to locate unexploded bombs dropped during World War 2, when the Pacific nation was the scene of fierce battles between US and Japanese forces.

The group said it had suspended its activities on Solomon Islands and was assisting with the investigation. — Reuters



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