Buried WWII Bomb Explodes at Miyazaki Airport: What Actually Happened?

Nearly 90 flights were canceled at Miyazaki Airport in Japan after an unexploded World War II bomb exploded on the taxiway, causing no injuries.

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In Japan, nearly 90 flights were canceled after an old bomb went off at Miyazaki Airport. This bomb was from World War II and had been buried underground for many years. The explosion happened on Wednesday morning, just before 8 a.m. local time.

Explosion Creates Crater

The blast created a big hole in the taxiway, about 23 feet wide and 3.2 feet deep. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the incident. There were no planes nearby when the bomb exploded, according to the land and transport ministry.

A bomb squad from the Ground Self-Defense Force quickly checked out the explosion. They found out that the bomb weighed about 250 kilograms. It was probably buried during a wartime raid many years ago. The team is still figuring out how the bomb exploded after all this time.

After the explosion, pieces of asphalt flew everywhere, covering an area of 200 meters, including the runway. 

A video from a nearby aviation school showed the explosion throwing asphalt into the air like a fountain. Following the blast, the airport closed its runway, grounding 87 flights. Top government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said there was no danger of more explosions.

Flight Cancellations Impact Thousands

The canceled flights included those from Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. These flights connect Miyazaki with big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. The local fire department was the first to respond. They got a call at 7:59 a.m. about smoke and an explosion. Soon after that, police told airport workers to leave the area.

Before the explosion, at least four flights had already used the taxiway. A Japan Airlines flight carrying 93 people flew past the site just a few minutes before the bomb went off. The cancellations affected nearly 3,400 passengers, forcing some to change their travel plans.

One traveler, Shun Akahori, 28, shared his experience. He had switched to another flight, but that flight was also canceled. So, he decided to talk with his company and extend his stay in Miyazaki. He was trying to return to Osaka after a business trip.

The airport reopened the next morning. A Japan Airlines flight to Fukuoka took off around 7:40 a.m. local time.

History of Unexploded Bombs

Miyazaki Airport is located at the southeast end of Kyushu Island. During World War II, it was a base for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Many kamikaze pilots flew from this airport on their final missions.

There have been many discoveries of unexploded bombs at Miyazaki Airport over the years. A transport ministry official said that unexploded bombs from the war are still found in Japan today, even 79 years after the conflict ended.

In fact, other unexploded bombs from the U.S. military were found at a nearby construction site in 2009 and 2011. In the last fiscal year, the Self-Defense Forces disposed of a total of 2,348 bombs, weighing 37.5 tons. This shows how the impacts of World War II still affect Japan today.

 

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