The Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) confirmed that two of its employees had died in the blast and identified the man as British national Stephen “Luke” Atkinson and Australian Australian citizen Trent Lee.
The charity is working with the bomb disposal team of the Solomon Islands Police Force to map out the unplanned ordinances of World War II.
The Solomon Islands were the site of a major military expedition to the Pacific, and its islands are filled with thousands of unexploded ordnance from the conflict.
Officials at the National Referral Hospital in Haniyara confirmed that two foreign nationals had been killed in the blast, police said.
The NPA, which operates in 19 countries around the world, said it has temporarily suspended its activities on Solomon Islands and is working on a police investigation.
“We are devastated by what has happened and the loss of two good colleagues. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are shared with his family, relatives and staff,” said NPA Secretary General Henriette Kelly Westrin.
A police investigation is underway into the blast and why it exploded in a residential neighborhood. Police said they sent officers to the scene Sunday evening and closed the area.
“EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) officers must secure the place to find out what happened before RSIPF forensics and other investigators arrive at the scene,” said Clifford Tunuki, Inspector (OIC) in charge of EOD.
“I can confirm that none of the RSIPF EOD officers were at the scene when the bomb exploded despite the fact that we are working together on the project.”
The survey team, of which the two men were part, confirmed the location of the bomb following reports from the local community. That information they give to the police, who decide what to do with the bomb.
“On behalf of RSIPF, I extend my sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the two foreign nationals who died in this tragic incident,” he said.
Remains of war
The NPA said the Solomon Islands remain heavily contaminated with the explosive remnants of war and surgeries continue to kill or seriously injure locals.
Guadalajara, the island that is home to the capital Honiara, was the site of one of the most significant battles of World War II in the Pacific.
U.S. The Japanese army invaded the island in 1942 in an operation that resulted in the first major Allied land conquest of Japan and a turning point in the war.
U.S. war According to military history, about 1,600 Americans and about 15,000 Japanese were killed at Gaudalaknal.
Brad Land of CNN contributed to this report.
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