Officials have recovered the body of a man following a landslide at a gold mine in the Solomon Islands. The body was found Tuesday at the open-pit mine on Guadalcanal, the nation's largest island, a day after the incident occurred. The slip extended approximately 100 meters (328 feet) along an access road leading to the mine pit.
Authorities have not confirmed if other individuals are still buried, and a search operation is ongoing. The cause of the landslide is currently unknown. Prime Minister Matthew Wale stated on Monday that the government is interested in determining if poor mining practices contributed to the event and if regulations need to be strengthened. At that time, no fatalities or missing persons had been confirmed.
The mine's owners, Wanguo Gold Group Ltd, reported that none of their employees were harmed or unaccounted for, and no mining equipment was damaged. Operations at the mine have since resumed.
Police identified the deceased as Ashley Olo, but it has not been specified if he was an employee of the mine. His body has been returned to his family, according to Acting Police Commissioner James Aitorea.
Local news reports suggest that some families have reported individuals missing who were not mine employees but were considered informal miners working at the site. The area has reportedly attracted controversy in the past, with instances of clashes between local landowners, informal miners, and law enforcement.
The mine, located near the capital Honiara, is the Solomon Islands' only large-scale gold operation. Since 2019, it has been majority-owned by Hong Kong-listed Wanguo Gold Group, with local landowners holding a minor stake. The mine was previously owned by an Australian company that divested in 2015, citing concerns about its safety in relation to flooding and other natural disasters.