Quarry Bay World War II bomb sparks evacuation of 6,000 residents, defused after nine-hour operation
A World War II bomb unearthed at a Quarry Bay construction site in Hong Kong triggered a mass evacuation of 6,000 people on Friday (19 Sept).
According to Hong Kong media HK01, the bomb — a 1.5m-long, 450kg United States (US) aerial device packed with 226kg of TNT — was discovered during redevelopment works along Coastal Road.
Police said it remained live and could have caused devastating destruction if detonated.
18 blocks cleared, thousands rushed out of homes
Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of 18 residential and commercial blocks, forcing 1,900 households to scramble for evacuation.
Source: HK01
The evacuation began on Friday night, ahead of the bomb squad’s delicate operation to neutralise the device the next morning.
Community halls were opened from 8pm, while buses, hotels, and youth hostels were roped in to house evacuees overnight.
About 35 care teams were deployed across the Eastern District to assist, with reinforcements on standby.
Source: HK01
Senior bomb disposal officer Li Chin-chiu (name transliterated) said both the front and tail fuses of the bomb were still intact, making the device almost as deadly as it was when dropped eight decades ago.
Bomb squad works through the night
At 2am on Saturday (20 Sept), Hong Kong’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team began their dangerous nine-hour mission to neutralise the bomb, reports Hong Kong’s The Standard.
Strong winds and rain complicated the effort, as officers carefully cut into the casing and burned its explosive material in a controlled operation.
Moving the bomb was deemed far too risky, as experts warned it could trigger a catastrophic blast in the densely populated district.
Instead, sandbags and water barriers were stacked around the site as added protection.
Source: HK01
Declared safe by noon, residents return home
By 11.48am on Saturday, the bomb was successfully neutralised and the area declared safe.
Roads were reopened shortly after, and thousands of residents were allowed to return home.
The successful operation brought immense relief to the Quarry Bay community, which had endured hours of fear while emergency teams worked under intense pressure.
Source: HK01
Throughout the operation, emergency services stood by on full alert, ready to respond at a moment’s notice.
Also read: Upper Bukit Timah Road To Close On 26 Sep After Bomb Found, All Residents Must Evacuate
Upper Bukit Timah Road To Close On 26 Sep After Bomb Found, All Residents Must Evacuate
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Featured image adapted from HK01 and HK01.
