U.S. Bomb detonates at Miyazaki Airport
Date
10/3/2024 8:19:40 AM
(MENAFN) An unexploded U.S. bomb detonates at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan on Wednesday, creating a significant crater in the taxiway and disrupting operations at the airport.
The blast occurred early in the morning, when the coastal facility was relatively quiet. Fortunately, no aircraft were passing over the location of the ordnance at the time of the explosion.
Footage shared online captures the explosion, which sent a tall column of dirt and smoke into the sky. The nature of the blast indicates that the munition had been buried deeply underground.
The incident resulted in a large crater on one of the airport's taxiways, leading to the suspension of more than 70 flights. Authorities expect the airport to resume operations on Thursday after repairing the damaged area. Japanese Self-Defense Forces and police believe the explosion was triggered by a 500-pound U.S. bomb that had been buried since World War II, and investigations into the unexpected detonation are ongoing. Originally built in 1943 as a military airfield at an Imperial Japanese Navy base, Miyazaki Airport was a key staging area for kamikaze pilots during the war, with nearly 50 suicide missions launched from its grounds.
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