A
major airport in northern Japan was closed after an unexploded bomb believed to
be from WWII was found near a runway during construction work. Flights in and
out of Sendai airport were cancelled and a military bomb disposal unit called
in. The 250kg (550lb) bomb has been identified as one made in the US.
The
airport was a Japanese military flight school during the war. It was closed for
months due to damage from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The city of
Sendai, with a population of more than a million, was very close to the
epicentre of the devastating quake. Parts of the airport - a major hub for
travel in northern Japan - is still being reconstructed. Sendai police official
Hiroshi Ouchi said evacuations of nearby homes may be considered.
The
bomb disposal team is exploring options to either move the bomb or explode it
on site. It is common for bombs that are duds to be uncovered at constructions
sites in Japan - many of its cities were bombed during WWII. By mid-day local
time, 'live' webcam links to the airport's flight information boards were still
showing cancellations of both domestic and international flights.
BBC News
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