WWII Bomb Explosion Grounds 87 Flights at Japan’s Miyazaki Airport

Japan’s Miyazaki Airport Closed After WWII Bomb Explosion, 87 Flights Cancelled
On Wednesday, Miyazaki Airport in southwest Japan was temporarily closed after an explosion caused by a World War II-era American bomb. The bomb, buried beneath the surface, exploded near the runway, creating a large crater and grounding 87 flights.

According to a transport ministry official, the explosion caused a seven-meter-wide and one-meter-deep crater on the taxiway near the runway. Fortunately, there were no injuries, and a nearby airplane had passed the area just two minutes before the blast.

A bomb disposal team from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force identified the device as an American bomb dropped during wartime air raids. Officials confirmed there’s no further risk of explosions, and repair work is expected to be completed by Thursday morning.

Flights from airlines like JAL and ANA, connecting Miyazaki with Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka, were impacted. Miyazaki Airport, once a Japanese Navy base, has previously encountered unexploded ordnance due to its historical significance during World War II, particularly as a launch point for kamikaze missions.

More than 79 years after the war, unexploded bombs are still found across Japan, with the Self-Defense Forces having disposed of 2,348 bombs weighing 37.5 tonnes in fiscal year 2023 alone.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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