A World War II U.S. bomb detonated at a Japanese airport on Wednesday, creating a significant crater in a taxiway and leading to the cancellation of over 80 flights, although no injuries were reported, according to Japanese officials.
The Land and Transport Ministry confirmed that the bomb, a 500-pound relic from the war, exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan when no aircraft were in proximity. An investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police verified that the explosion posed no ongoing threat, and efforts are underway to determine the cause of its unexpected detonation.
Footage taken from a nearby aviation school captured the blast, which sent fragments of asphalt flying into the air. Additional video footage broadcasted by Japanese media revealed a crater approximately 7 meters in diameter and 1 meter deep in the taxiway.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announced that more than 80 flights had to be canceled, with operations expected to potentially resume by Thursday morning.
Miyazaki Airport was originally established in 1943 as a training ground for the Imperial Japanese Navy, where pilots launched on suicide missions. According to Defense Ministry officials, many unexploded bombs from World War II have been discovered in the region, and hundreds of tons remain buried beneath Japan, occasionally resurfacing during construction projects.