Solomon Islands: bay hit by oil spill suffers second contamination crisis

An estimated 5,000 tonnes of bauxite has spilled into Kangava Bay, where a tanker ran aground in February

A second major spill has hit the pristine Solomon Islands bay where a bulk carrier ran aground on a coral reef and leaked oil earlier this year.

On Monday, an estimated 5,000 tonnes of bauxite, the ore used in aluminium smelting, slipped into the water at Kangava Bay, Rennell Island, while it was being loaded on to a barge.