### WWII Bomb Explosion at Miyazaki Airport Disrupts Flights

An unexpected explosion caused by an unexploded World War II-era U.S. bomb disrupted operations at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan on Wednesday. This incident led to the cancellation of over 80 flights, as officials reported.

Fortunately, there were no injuries, and no aircraft were in the vicinity when the explosion occurred, according to officials from the Land and Transport Ministry. The resulting blast created a sizable crater on one of the airport’s taxiways, prompting an immediate investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police. The investigation confirmed that the explosion was due to a 500-pound bomb from the U.S. military, with no further threats detected in the area.

Video footage captured by a nearby aviation school showed asphalt debris being propelled into the air by the explosion. Additional videos aired on Japanese television revealed the crater, estimated to be approximately 7 meters (23 feet) in diameter and 1 meter (3 feet) deep.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announced that over 80 flights had been canceled as a result of the explosion by midafternoon Wednesday. However, repairs to the taxiway were conducted overnight, and regular flight operations resumed Thursday morning.

Miyazaki Airport, originally built in 1943 as a flight training field for the Imperial Japanese Navy, has seen its share of wartime remnants. Pilots once used the site for suicide attack missions during World War II. Defense Ministry officials noted that numerous unexploded bombs from U.S. military air raids have been discovered in the vicinity.

This incident underscores the ongoing challenge Japan faces, as hundreds of tons of unexploded ordnance from World War II remain buried throughout the country. These remnants occasionally surface during construction activities, posing periodic risks to safety and infrastructure.