WWII American bomb explodes at Japanese airport

WWII American bomb explodes at Japanese airport

An unexploded American World War II bomb buried at a Japanese airport exploded on Wednesday, leaving a large crater on a taxiway. More than 80 flights had to be canceled, but there were no injuries, according to Japanese authorities.

Explosion at Miyazaki Airport

Officials from the Ministry of Land and Transport said there were no aircraft nearby at the time of the explosion at Miyazaki airport in southwestern Japan. An investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police confirmed that the explosion was caused by a 500-pound bomb from the United States and that there was no further threat. Authorities are trying to figure out what caused the sudden explosion.

Video footage shows the incident

A video taken by a nearby flight school showed the blast sending pieces of asphalt into the air, similar to a fountain. Footage aired on Japanese television showed a crater on the taxiway, reportedly about 7 meters in diameter and 1 meter deep.

Consequences for flight operations

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said more than 80 flights were canceled at the airport. The airport operators hope to be able to resume flight operations on Thursday morning.

Historical background of the airport

Miyazaki Airport was built in 1943 as a former Imperial Japanese Navy flight training ground from which some kamikaze pilots took off on suicide attack missions. Defense Department officials reported that several unexploded bombs dropped by the U.S. Army during World War II were discovered in the region. Hundreds of tons of wartime munitions remain buried in Japan, sometimes uncovered during construction work.