A World War II-era U.S. bomb exploded Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan. The explosion created a large crater on a taxiway and forced the cancellation of over 80 flights. No injuries were reported.
Japanese officials confirmed that the 500-pound U.S. bomb had been buried for decades before its sudden detonation.
Videos recorded by a nearby aviation school and broadcast on Japanese television showed debris flying through the air and a crater approximately 23 feet wide and 3 feet deep.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion, though Miyazaki Airport, built in 1943 as a flight training field for the Imperial Japanese Navy, unearthed several unexploded bombs in the past. The airport was used for kamikaze missions during the war.
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The blast came just days after Japanese troops successfully disarmed and removed another WWII-era bomb in Okinawa. The 551-pound unexploded ordnance, discovered at a construction site in Naha City, prompted the evacuation of 1,400 people from nearby homes and businesses. Ground Self-Defense Forces defused the bomb and moved it to a storage facility. Japanese forces plan to detonate it at sea.
Okinawa officials estimate that about 2,000 tons of unexploded ordnance remains undiscovered from the intense bombardment during the Battle of Okinawa.
Crews have already disposed of nearly 22 tons of ordnance between April 2023 and March 2024, and the Ground Self-Defense Force has pledged to continue removal operations to ensure the safety of residents.
[JACK AYLMER]
A WORLD WAR II-ERA BOMB, BURIED FOR DECADES, SUDDENLY EXPLODED AT AN AIRPORT IN SOUTHWESTERN JAPAN, LEAVING A MASSIVE CRATER — GROUNDING DOZENS OF FLIGHTS WEDNESDAY.
THE BLAST OCCURRED AT MIYAZAKI AIRPORT, WHERE THE 500-POUND U.S. ORDNANCE DETONATED UNDER A TAXIWAY, FORCING THE CANCELLATION OF OVER 80 FLIGHTS. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. VIDEO FOOTAGE CAPTURED DEBRIS FLYING, LEAVING BEHIND A 23-FOOT-WIDE, 3-FOOT-DEEP CRATER.
AUTHORITIES ARE STILL INVESTIGATING WHAT CAUSED IT TO DETONATE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.
MIYAZAKI AIRPORT, BUILT IN 1943 AS A TRAINING FIELD FOR THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY, WAS ONCE USED FOR KAMIKAZE MISSIONS. SEVERAL UNEXPLODED BOMBS DROPPED BY THE U.S. DURING WORLD WAR II HAVE SINCE BEEN DISCOVERED IN THE AREA.
THIS FOLLOWS A RECENT OPERATION IN OKINAWA WHERE TROOPS SAFELY REMOVED A 551-POUND WORLD WAR II BOMB FROM NAHA CITY. THE BOMB’S DISCOVERY FORCED 1,400 PEOPLE TO EVACUATE.
OFFICIALS ESTIMATE THAT AROUND 2,000 TONS OF UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE REMAIN ON OKINAWA FROM THE WORLD WAR II BATTLE.
JAPAN CONTINUES ITS EFFORTS TO SAFELY REMOVE THESE REMNANTS — RECENT OPERATIONS NEUTRALIZED DOZENS OF UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. CREWS HAVE ALREADY DISPOSED OF NEARLY 22 TONS OF ORDNANCE BETWEEN APRIL 2023 AND MARCH 2024
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