Japan shuts regional airport after likely WW2-era bomb explodes near runway

The cause of the explosion was an American bomb that had been buried beneath the land surface, probably dating to a wartime air raid

Reading Time:1 minute

Passengers wait at a Japan Airlines counter at Miyazaki airport following the closure of the runway that grounded 87 flights. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 4:47pm, 2 Oct 2024

A regional airport in southwest Japan was closed on Wednesday after a US bombshell, likely dropped during World War Two to stem “kamikaze” attacks, exploded near its runway, causing nearly 90 flight cancellations.

Miyazaki Airport shut its runway after the explosion caused a crater seven metres (23 feet) wide and one metre deep in the middle of the taxiway next to the runway, according to a Japanese transport ministry official.

A bomb disposal team from the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force later found that the cause of the explosion was an American bomb that had been buried beneath the land surface, probably dating to a wartime air raid, the official said.

The explosion at Miyazaki airport caused a crater seven metres (23 feet) wide and one metre deep in the middle of the taxiway next to the runway. Photo: Kyodo

No injuries were reported but live cam footage showed an aeroplane had been taxiing nearby just two minutes before the explosion, according to local broadcaster MRT.

The runway shutdown has led to the grounding of 87 flights but there is no danger of any further explosions and repair works to fill the hole should be completed by Thursday morning, said Japan’s top government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi.

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.

Part of a damaged taxiway at Miyazaki airport, which was formerly a Japanese navy base until the end of the second world war. Photo: Kyodo

Located at the southeast end of Kyushu island, Miyazaki airport was formerly a Japanese navy base until the end of World War Two, from where hundreds of young “kamikaze” pilots set off on their final missions, according to the Miyazaki city website.