Engaged in making a map on unexploded ordnance, two NGO staff died in an explosion - Guadalcanal Island

 Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

不発弾の地図作りに従事、ＮＧＯ職員２人が爆発で死亡　ガダルカナル島

2020.09.21 Mon posted at 18:48 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 第２次世界大戦の激戦地だった南太平洋の島国ソロモン諸島で２０日、不発弾の地図作りに従事していた非政府組織（ＮＧＯ）の男性職員２人が爆発に巻き込まれ死亡した。

ソロモン諸島警察によると、爆発は現地時間の２０日夕刻、ガダルカナル島にある首都ホニアラの住宅地で発生した。

不発弾処理に協力しているノルウェーのＮＧＯの「ＮＰＡ」は、職員２人が爆発によって死亡したことを確認した。死亡したのは英国籍の「ルーク」ことスティーブン・アトキンソンさんと、オーストラリア国籍のトレント・リーさんだった。

ＮＰＡはソロモン諸島警察の爆弾処理班と協力して、第２次世界大戦中に投下された不発弾の地図データベースを作成していた。ソロモン諸島の島々には、今も何千発もの不発弾が残されていて、地元住民が死亡したり重傷を負ったりする事故が後を絶たないという。

ＮＰＡはソロモン諸島での活動を一時的に中止して、警察の捜査に協力していることを明らかにした。警察は現場一帯を封鎖して、爆発が起きた経緯などを調べている。

警察は２１日に、爆発はＮＰＡの建物内で起きたと発表。初期段階の調査として、同建物内に不発弾が複数あり、作業を行おうとしていた可能性を示唆した。警察は不発弾がＮＰＡの建物に移されていたことを知らず、他にあった不発弾はより安全な場所に移したとも言い添えた。

首都ホニアラがあるガダルカナル島は第２次世界大戦中、太平洋の中でも有数の激戦地だった。

米海兵隊は１９４２年、ガダルカナル島の日本軍を攻撃し、ここで勝利を収めたことが、戦争の転機になった。

米軍史によると、ガダルカナルでは米国人約１６００人、日本人は約１万５０００人が命を落とした。

ＮＰＡによれば、不発弾は市内の建設現場やサンゴ礁、農場、森林、郊外の庭園などでも発見されている。子どもが見つけて玩具にすることもあるという。

Translation

(CNN) Two male employees of a non-governmental organization (NGO) who were engaged in mapping unexploded ordnance died in an explosion on the 20th in the Solomon Islands, an island country in the South Pacific Ocean which was a fierce battlefield of World War II.

According to the Solomon Islands police, the explosion occurred in a residential area in the capital Honiara on Guadalcanal Island on the evening of the 20th local time.

Norwegian NGO "NPA", which was helping in unexploded ordnance disposal, confirmed that two employees were killed in the explosion. The dead were British national Stephen Atkinson alias "Luke" and Australian national Trent Lee.

The NPA was working with the Solomon Islands police bomb squad to create a map database of unexploded ordnance dropped during World War II. Thousands of unexploded ordnances were still left on the islands of the Solomon Islands, and there were endless accidents of killing or serious injuring of local residents.

The NPA announced that it had temporarily suspended its activities in the Solomon Islands and was cooperating with police investigations. Police were locking down the entire scene and investigating the circumstances of the explosion.

Police announced on the 21st that the explosion had occurred inside the NPA building. As an early stage investigation, it was suggested that there were multiple unexploded ordnances in the building and there was a possibility that some work were in progress inside. Police were unaware that the unexploded ordnance had been moved to the NPA building, and added that other unexploded ordnance had been moved to a safer location.

Guadalcanal Island, with its capital Honiara, was one of the most fiercely fought battlefields in the Pacific Ocean during World War II.

The US Marine Corps attacked the Japanese army on Guadalcanal Island in 1942, and the victory here was a turning point in the war.

According to US military history, about 1,600 Americans and about 15,000 Japanese died in Guadalcanal.

According to the NPA, unexploded ordnance had also been found at construction sites in the city, coral reefs, farms, forests and suburban gardens. It was said that children might find it and use it as a toy.

It is shocking to know that after over 7 decades, Guadalcanal Island still has thousands of unexploded ordnances waiting to be handled.