Men working for WW2 bomb clearing agency die in explosion

Solomon Islands

Two men working for an aid agency that helps dispose of unexploded bombs have been killed in an explosion in the Solomon Islands.

Briton Stephen Atkinson and Australian Trent Lee were employees of Norwegian People's Aid.

The blast took place in a residential part of the capital Honiara on Sunday.

The Solomon Islands, a WW2 battleground in the South Pacific, is littered with thousands of unexploded bombs.

The Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) described the explosion as a "tragic accident".

It's Deputy Secretary-General Per Nergaard said an "investigation needs to be completed before there can be a conclusion on the cause of events".

The organization's Secretary General Henriette Killi Westhrin added that it was "devastated by what has happened".