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Unexploded WWII Bomb Explodes at Japanese Airport
An unexploded 500-pound U.S. bomb from World War II exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan, causing a large crater in a taxiway. Over 80 flights were canceled, but no injuries were reported.
The explosion occurred on Wednesday morning, sending chunks of asphalt into the air. An investigation confirmed the explosion was caused by the bomb and there is no further danger. Officials are investigating the cause of its sudden detonation.
The airport was built as a flight training field for the Japanese Navy during WWII and was used for kamikaze suicide attacks. Unexploded bombs from that era have been found in the area before.
In Japan, hundreds of tons of unexploded bombs from the war remain buried and are occasionally discovered at construction sites. Last year, a WWII bomb exploded in England in an unplanned detonation.