Tokyo: Japan's Miyazaki Airport was closed on Wednesday after a US World War II-era bomb, likely dropped to stop imperial Japan's 'kamikaze' attacks, exploded near its runway. The explosion caused a crater seven metres (23 feet) and one metre (3.2 feet) deep in the middle of the taxiway next to the runway, according to Japanese officials.
Land and Transport Ministry officials said there were no aircraft nearby when the bomb exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan. Officials said an investigation by the Self-Defence Forces and police confirmed that the explosion was caused by a 500-pound US bomb and there was no further danger. A probe is underway to confirm what caused the explosion.
No injuries were reported but live cam footage showed an airplane had been taxiing nearby just two minutes before the explosion, according to local broadcaster MRT. A bomb disposal team from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force later found that the cause of the explosion was an American bomb that had been buried beneath the land surface
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A video recorded by a nearby aviation school showed the blast spewing pieces of asphalt into the air like a fountain. A number of unexploded bombs dropped by the US military during World War II have been unearthed in the area, Defence Ministry officials said.
The runway shutdown has led to the grounding of 87 flights but there is no danger of any further explosions and repair works to fill the hole should be completed by Thursday, said Japan's top government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi. The affected flights were operated by JAL, ANA and other airlines connecting Miyazaki with cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
Located at the southeast end of Kyushu island, Miyazaki airport was formerly a Japanese navy base until the end of World War Two, from where hundreds of young "kamikaze" pilots set off on their final missions, according to the Miyazaki city website. Multiple unexploded bombs have previously been found at Miyazaki airport, the transport ministry official said.
More than 79 years since the end of the war, unexploded bombs from the intense airstrikes are still found across Japan today. A total of 2,348 bombs weighing 37.5 tonnes were disposed of during fiscal year 2023, the Self-Defense Forces have said.
(with inputs from agencies)
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