Tragedy at Rotuma

Salvaged Bomb Explodes and Kills Nine

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva. May 13

rpRAGEDY struck at the beautiful little X island of Rotuma, 220 miles north north-west of the Fiji Group, on May 7, when two men and seven boys were killed by the explosion of what is believed to have been a derelict bomb.

Fragments of the bomb have been col lected and will be sent to Suva for ex pert examination. In the meantime the disaster is something of a mystery.

The explosion occurred near the road running through Peptsei village, about 150 yards above high-water level, and all that is known in Suva, is that the boys had discovered the bomb and were in vestigating it when it exploded. Six were killed Instantly, two very soon after the explosion, and the ninth within two hours, in hospital.

Although Rotuma is officially regarded as part of the Crown Colony of Fiji, ship communication between Suva and Rotuma is infrequent and to most people in Fiji to-day the island is remote and little known. There is. however, a Rotuma “col ony” of 3,300-odd in Fiji proper.

Few tragic events in the post-war per iod have moved the Fijian and European people more deeply than this village dis aster at Rotuma, The boys were pupils of the Sumi Roman Catholic school, and on May 9 a solemn requiem mass was said at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Suva.

It was at first believed that the explo sion was that of a mine, but this was subsequently corrected. Drifting mines have twice been reported in the Fiji Group in recent months. One, sighted off the Tailevu coast of Viti Levu, was tracked down by an official launch, holed by rifle fire, arid presumably sunk. The second drifted on to the reef at Makogai (the leper hospital island) and exploded with terrifying effect but without causing damage.

One theory regarding the Rotuma bomb is that during the war, it may have been jettisoned by an American bomber on its way back to Fiji. This was a common practice if the bomber had been knocked about, in order to avoid the danger of landing with primed bombs. It is pos sible that this bomb landed on the Rot uma reef or in the lagoon and was either rolled ashore by the sea or was carried in by the boys whom it killed.

After this tragedy, an immediate and forceful official warning about bombs, mines and other deadly legacies of the war, is plainly warranted in every island within and on the fringes of the Pacific War zone.