HONIARA (Staff Report) : A catastrophic slope collapse at the Gold Ridge gold mine on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands has left at least 10 people feared dead following an overnight landslide. The failure struck the northwest edge of Open Pit 1 late July 27 into the early hours of July 28, plunging massive volumes of weathered volcanic rock and debris across the site.
Gold Ridge Mining Limited, a subsidiary of China’s Wan Guo Gold Group, confirmed that a localized slope movement occurred on a non-operational bench within an established exclusion zone. However, company officials reported that all corporate employees and registered contractors working at the site are safe, with no operational casualties recorded among company personnel.
Local authorities and police confirmed that rescue and recovery operations are ongoing but face severe impediments due to unstable debris, shifting earth, and hazardous weathered volcanic rock formations. Preliminary investigations indicate that several of the victims are informal miners who had entered the restricted pit area without authorization to conduct artisanal gold panning.
Emergency response teams continue to comb through the landslide zone as safety inspectors assess the structural integrity of Open Pit 1. National disaster management officials and police have urged local residents to remain clear of the active hazard perimeter while recovery efforts proceed.
