80 flights cancelled as World War II-era US bomb explodes at Japan’s Miyazaki airport

Japan: A dormant US bomb from World War II exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southern Japan on wednesday. The unexploded US bomb had been buried at the Japanese airport since long. The explosion has caused a large crater in a taxiway. More than 80 flights have been cancelled for the reason. No injuries have been reported so far.

According to Land and Transport Ministry officials , a 500-pound US bomb caused the explosion, with no further hazards present. The explosion occurred during construction work near the airport’s runway, where the unexploded ordnance (UXO) was discovered. An investigation is going on by the bomb disposal experts, self-defence forces and police to ensure the safety of the locals. The authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the bomb’s unexpected explosion. There were no aircraft nearby when the bomb exploded at Miyazaki Airport.

A nearby aviation school has captured a video of the shocking blast. As per the footage, the blast has caused a huge hole of 7 meters across and 1 meter deep, on the airport’s taxiway. The blast spewed pieces of asphalt into the air like a fountain.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi has said that, more than 80 flights had been cancelled at the airport due to the explosion which disrupted travel plans for thousands. Hopefully all the flights will resume operations on Thursday morning.

Japan still has hundreds of tons of unexploded old war bombs hidden across the country. These bombs are often uncovered at building construction sites, said the defence ministry officials.