WWII AMERICAN BOMB EXPLODES AT MIYAZAKI AIRPORT IN JAPAN


By akirschbaum
Plane taking off from Miyazaki Airport.

An American bomb from World War II exploded in Japan close to Miyazaki Airport's runway. This forced the airport to close temporarily. All 87 of the day's scheduled flights were canceled because of the damage to the runway, making it unsafe for the airlines to continue their operation. Following this, the airport closed its runway early on Wednesday.The 250-kg US bomb that caused the explosion was probably left over from aerial strikes carried out earlier in World War II, similar to the attacks that resulted in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima. The report came from the bomb disposal team, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, who investigated the incident. According to a local station, no injuries were recorded besides an airplane being a little bit near the explosion.

Repairs Underway to Reopen Miyazaki Airport

After their investigations were completed, Yoshimasa Hayashi, the senior government spokesperson for Japan, stated that there was no chance of any future explosions. The crater had also been sealed thanks to the successful repairs done on the evening of October 2.The first flight since the airport closed left at 7:40 in the morning on a Japan Airlines flight to Fukuoka. The explosion left a 7-meter-wide by 1-meter-deep hole. Thus, they had to make sure that it was sealed first before they started resuming operations. This was to avoid any problems during takeoff. All flights are expected to go as planned except those with no available aircraft.

Japan Reinspects Other Airports After Miyazaki Explosion

The transportation ministry of Japan announced that it would search airports constructed on former military airfields for other possible bombs that were buried during WWII. This was stated a day after a US bomb exploded under the runway at Miyazaki Japan Airport.The investigations will concentrate on locations that were the target of bombings during World War II and where unexploded bombs have already been discovered. Only airports under central government management are expected to be on the list. This includes Naha Airport in Okinawa, where unexploded bombs were found in 2020.When runways and similar buildings were built on former airfields and other targets of air raids, the ground had already been examined using magnetic surveys and other ways to check for bombs. To reassure travelers, the ministry plans to reexamine a few of these spots again. Runways, taxiways, and other airport infrastructure that aircraft use will be the main focus of the inspections. The municipal authorities in charge of airports such as Nagoya Airport will make the decisions about future inspections.

The WWII History of Miyazaki Airport

The Imperial Japanese Navy constructed Miyazaki Airport, formerly known as Akae Airfield, in 1943 during World War II. It was one of the many battlefields during the war, which is why there are still unexploded bombs that are being found there. Soon after the war, all Nippon Airways began operating there as well. In 1954, it was changed into a teaching center for the Civil Aviation College.Even when it was transformed into a training facility, the risk from unexploded bombs was still there due to the heavy bombardment during WWII. In 1975, three occurrences of spontaneous unexploded bomb detonations had been recorded in Miyazaki Prefecture. A 250-kg bomb was found during post-war construction, and other bombs were discovered as well in 2011 and 2021. In October 2021, a bomb also exploded near the airport, damaging the runway and canceling flights. This is exactly what happened a few days ago, and it shows there is still an ongoing danger from bombs that might still be buried there. Safety checks are now being conducted by the Japanese authorities, and they assured the public that it will not happen again in the future. Read next:


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