SYDNEY, Oct. 31 — An unexploded ordnance (UXO) from World War II detonated in the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara on Thursday night, injuring one.
Local newspaper Solomon Star reported that the device detonated as a result of a fire near a stadium in western Honiara on Thursday evening local time, causing a loud explosion.
One person, identified by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as a young man, was injured and taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Robert Iroga, a resident who witnessed the explosion, told the ABC that the incident caused a lot of panic. “A lot of people were running all over the place, and there was a big fireball in the air as a result of the blast,” he said.
The area was cordoned off as police and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialists attended to investigate the incident. Ansa Puaraua, the officer in charge of the EOD unit of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, said on Wednesday that 6,121 UXOs were safely disposed of across the country in 2024.
According to Australia’s Department of Defense, the Solomon Islands remains littered with UXOs from World War II, including artillery shells, bombs, ammunition and torpedoes. (Xinhua)
