The detonation of a US bombshell, likely dropped during World War II, has forced the closure of a regional airport in Japan.
The buried armament exploded near the runway of Miyazaki Airport on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu on Wednesday. The blast damaged a runway, grounding all 87 flights scheduled for the day.
Miyazaki, which served as a base for pilots flying “kamikaze,” closed its runway early on Wednesday due to an explosion that created a crater in the middle of the taxiway that was seven meters (23 feet) broad and one meter (3.2 feet) deep, according to a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism official.
The source of the explosion was a US bomb that had been buried beneath the surface of the ground and was most likely from a WWII air strike, according to a bomb disposal team from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the official continued.
No injuries were reported, but live camera footage showed an aeroplane had been taxiing near the blast site, which was about 100 metres (109 yards) away from the terminal building, shortly beforehand, according to local broadcaster MRT
Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said the runway is expected to be reopened on Thursday morning after repair works to fill the hole are completed.
The affected flights were operated by JAL, ANA and other airlines connecting Miyazaki with cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka, according to the airport website.