Tokyo AP —An unexploded American bomb from World War II that had been buried at a Japanese airport exploded Wednesday, causing a large crater in a taxiway and the cancellation of more than 80 flights but no injuries, Japanese officials said.
Land and Transport Ministry officials said there were no aircraft nearby when the bomb exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan.
Videos broadcast on Japanese television showed a crater in the taxiway reportedly about 7 meters (23 feet) in diameter and 1 meter (3 feet) deep.
A number of unexploded bombs dropped by the US military during World War II have been unearthed in the area, Defense Ministry officials said.
Hundreds of tons of unexploded bombs from the war remain buried around Japan and are sometimes dug up at construction sites.
Persons:
Yoshimasa Hayashi
Organizations:
Tokyo AP, Transport Ministry, Miyazaki, Officials, Self - Defense Forces, Imperial Japanese Navy, Defense
Locations:
Tokyo, Japan, Miyazaki