A body of a man has been found at the location of a landslide in the Solomon Islands, as per officials. The incident occurred on Guadalcanal, the largest island in the South Pacific nation, when a landslide hit the open pit mine on July 27. The body was discovered at the site within 24 hours.
The landslide covered a 100-meter (328 feet) stretch on a road leading to the pit, with the cause remaining unknown, according to Prime Minister Matthew Wale. Authorities are conducting a search operation to determine if other individuals were trapped in the area.
Prime Minister Wale expressed concerns about the mining practices leading to the incident and emphasized the importance of reinforcing regulations. No missing persons or fatalities were confirmed at that time.
The mine, operated by Wanguo Gold Group Ltd, confirmed that none of their staff were injured or unaccounted for, and no mining equipment was damaged. Operations at the mine have resumed.
The deceased individual, identified as Ashley Olo by the police, had his body returned to his family. Reports indicate that some non-employee miners were reported missing by families, highlighting previous tensions at the site between local landowners, illegal miners, and law enforcement.
Located near the capital Honiara, the gold mine is the only large-scale mining operation in the country, managed by Gold Ridge Mining Limited. The majority ownership of the mine was acquired in 2019 by the Hong Kong-based Wanguo Gold Group, with local landowners holding a minority stake, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
The mine was previously owned by an Australian company, which sold it in 2015 due to concerns regarding safety during natural disasters such as flooding.
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