A barge has reportedly lost its cargo of bauxite in Solomon Islands near where efforts continue to clean up oil spilled from a grounded cargo ship.

The Island Sun newspaper reported the barge capsized in Kangava Bay on remote Rennell Island, close to where the MV Solomon Trader grounded in February.

Journalist Mike Puia said the bauxite was mined by the same company that chartered the cargo ship.

“On Monday morning there was a barge capsized. There was an excavator inside. According to those who are living in the village, it actually fell off from the barge with an unknown amount of bauxite. The bauxite was dug by Bintan Mining Company”

The accident happened close to the reef where the cargo ship grounded, Mr Puia said.

“Inside the same bay but Solomon Trader was on the eastern side of the bay. In the western side of the bay, that’s where the bauxite ran off from the barge,” he said.
“Its very close to Lavungu Beach. That’s the main port of the island.”

The Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office said it had not received a complaint about the bauxite spill

Bintan’s parent company, the Indo Bauxite Mining Corporation, has been contacted for comment.