More than 200 unexploded bombs found near the school

The munitions, which belonged to US soldiers during the Second World War and had rusted over time, were removed by the Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIPF) and moved to a safe place.

The munitions were found near the home of a school staff member in the capital Honiara during an excavation for sewage works at the school.

RSIPF official Inspector Clifford Tunuki said that these long-buried munitions were waiting to be dug up and safely disposed of. 

Unexploded ordnance still risky

The Solomon Islands were the scene of fierce fighting between Japan and the United States in the Second World War, which resulted in unexploded ordnance still lying on the islands.

This still poses a serious threat in the region.

The school suspended educational activities for several days due to safety concerns.
In a statement about the incident, it was stated that police teams dug up the rusted ammunition with shovels and removed them by hand and transported them to a safe place.

Thousands of bombs were dropped on Pacific islands such as the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Palau during the Second World War, many of which remained unexploded.

In 2020, two foreign bomb disposal experts working to map old munitions in Honiara were killed in an explosion.

In 2021, more than 100 unexploded bombs from the Second World War were discovered during an excavation in the garden of a house in Honiara.