Watch: WW2 era US bomb explodes at Japan airport, creates huge crater on taxiway

A World War II era bomb that lay buried unexploded beneath a Japanese airport blew up Wednesday (Oct 2), damaging the taxiway and causing flight cancellations. Land and Transport Ministry officials said the incident at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan caused no injuries but led to the cancellation of 87 flights.

The airport was used as a base of Japanese ‘Kamikaze’ pilots during the World War 2.

The explosion created a crater seven metres (23 feet) wide and one metre (3.2 feet) deep in the middle of the taxiway. Officials said the explosion was caused by a World War II US bomb that remained buried all these years.

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CCTV footage showed an aeroplane was just 100 metres away from the explosion site. A bomb disposal team from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force was rushed to the scene following the explosion. As per media reports, the airport will resume operations Thursday morning, once the crater is filled and necessary repairs to the taxiway are carried out.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said there was no threat of a second explosion.

"There is no threat of a second explosion, and police and firefighters are currently examining the scene," Hayashi said.

More about the airport

Miyazaki Airport served as a base for Japanese kamikaze jets from 1943 till the war ended.

That explains why it became a prime military target for US bombers during the WW2 era. So far, several unexploded US bombs have been recovered from the site.

Even after 79 years of the end of the war, discovery of unexploded bombs across Japan is not uncommon. According to Japan’s SDF, a total of 2,348 bombs weighing 37.5 tonnes were disposed of during fiscal year 2023.

(With inputs from agencies)