Three killed in Solomons bomb boil-up

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Three people have been killed and two others injured in a bomb blast in the Solomon Islands while boiling up unexploded World War II bombs.

The explosion occurred at a place called Levers Point, in the islands' central province, the Solomon Star reported.

A resident at nearby Yandina, Samani Ramo said two adults and a child were killed and their two other children were critically injured and are now in the national hospital in Honiara.

Mr Ramo said people boiled bombs before extracting the explosive and taking it to Honiara to sell in the markets to fishermen, who set off explosives and scoop up dead or stunned fish.

The group had already boiled about five bombs and three were still boiling in a pot when the blast blew the hands and legs off three of the people.

"It was a separate bomb that suddenly detonated when one of them was fiddling with it," he said

A spokesman from a police explosive disposal team said it was investigating the incident.

- NZPA