WWII-era bomb explodes at Japan’s Miyazaki Airport, flights cancelled

Bomb explodes on taxiway at Miyazaki Airport in Japan

Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan was shut down on Wednesday (Oct 2) after a buried World War II-era bomb exploded near the runway, creating a large crater and forcing the cancellation of 87 flights.

According to The Straits Times, the explosion caused a crater 7 metres wide and 1 metre deep in the taxiway next to the airport’s runway.

A bomb disposal team from Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force identified the source of the explosion as a US bomb likely dropped during World War II air raids.

Authorities said no one was injured by the blast, according to Kyodo News. However, local broadcaster MRT revealed that an airplane had been taxiing nearby just two minutes before the explosion.

Flights suspended throughout the day

All inbound and outbound flights at Miyazaki Airport were suspended, with 87 flights affected, including those operated by Japan Airlines (JAL), All Nippon Airways (ANA), and other carriers connecting Miyazaki to Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

A Japanese Government official said the situation posed no further risk and that repair work on the runway would be completed by the morning of Oct 3.

MRT reported that authorities received a call at 8.10am after the explosion was heard. Footage from TBS News shows the explosion occurring just before 8am,

Both police and fire departments were dispatched to investigate, Channel NewsAsia reported. It also said the blast appeared to have happened at least 100m away from the terminal building.

Officials indicated that the bomb, which had been buried under the surface, likely dates back to air raids aimed at preventing kamikaze attacks.

Miyazaki Airport, a former Japanese navy base, was a key site during World War II, from where kamikaze pilots set off on their final missions.

Despite being nearly 80 years since the end of the war, unexploded ordnance from that era is still found across Japan.

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces disposed of 37.5 tonnes of unexploded bombs in fiscal year 2023 alone.

In 2009, an unexploded bomb from World War II was discovered at a construction site in Miyazaki. This then led to Miyazaki Airport cancelling flights and authorities evacuating around 1,700 residents.

An explosives disposal unit spent about two and a half hours removing the bomb before it was taken to an undisclosed location, said NBC News.

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Featured image adapted from TBS NEWS DIG Powered by JNN on Youtube and Kyodo News.