U.S. WWII Bomb Detonates Near Miyazaki Airport, Leading to Flight Cancellations

Miyazaki Airport in southwest Japan was temporarily closed on Wednesday after a World War II-era American bomb exploded near its runway, creating a crater seven meters wide and one meter deep. The blast occurred near a taxiway just minutes after an aircraft had passed. As a result, 87 flights were canceled. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, and officials confirmed that there was no further danger of explosions. The bomb, identified as a 500-pound device likely from wartime air raids, was discovered buried beneath the surface. Repair work to fill the crater is expected to be completed by Thursday morning. The airport, which was originally built as a flight training field for the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1943, has previously encountered unexploded ordnance from the war.