An unexploded American bomb from World War II exploded after more than 8 decades at the Japanese airport on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.
According to CBS News, Japanese officials said that the bomb buried at the Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan has damaged the taxiway at the airport and cancelled more than 80 flights.
Luckily, no casualties or injuries were reported from the incident. The Land and Transport Ministry officials informed that there were no aircraft nearby at the time of the explosion.
The self-defense forces and police, after investigation, confirmed that the explosion was caused by the 500-pound US bomb. They also assured that there was no further danger.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi asserted, “There is no threat of a second explosion, and police and firefighters are currently examining the scene.”
He also said that the flight operation that was halted after the explosion will be resumed on Thursday morning.
As per Defence Ministry officials, numerous US military’s unexploded bombs from World War II have been discovered in the area. An unexploded ordinance from the US was found at a nearby construction site in 2009 and 2010.
Hundreds of tonnes of unexploded bombs from World War II are buried in Japan, which is sometimes found at construction sites. Citing the Self-Defence Force, Reuters reported that a total of 2,348 bombs weighing 41 tonnes were disposed of during 2023.