TOKYO (AP) — An unexploded U.S. 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.
Officials said an investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police confirmed that the explosion was caused by a 500-pound U.S. bomb and there was no further danger. They were determining what caused its sudden detonation.
A video recorded by a nearby aviation school showed the blast spewing pieces of asphalt into the air like a fountain. Videos broadcast on Japanese television showed a crater in the taxiway reportedly about 7 meters (yards) in diameter and 1 meter (3 feet) deep.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said more than 80 flights had been canceled at the airport, which hopes to resume operations on Thursday morning.
Miyazaki Airport was built in 1943 as a former Imperial Japanese Navy flight training field from which some kamikaze pilots took off on suicide attack missions.
A number of unexploded bombs dropped by the U.S. 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.
This photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows part of a damaged taxiway at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, after an explosion was reported. (Kyodo News via AP)
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — An approaching typhoon bringing strong winds and torrential rainfall to Taiwan killed one person and injured dozens of others over the past few days and led to the evacuation of thousands from low-lying or mountainous areas.
At least 70 people were injured and one person died due to weather conditions attributed to Typhoon Krathon, Taiwan’s fire department said Wednesday.
One elderly man died after falling off a ladder while pruning tree branches in the eastern city of Hualien. Two others were missing.
The typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds of 173 kph (108 mph) and gusts of 209 kph (130 mph), was expected to make landfall early Thursday on Taiwan’s densely populated west coast, according to the Central Weather Administration.
Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan’s west coast, affecting instead the mountainous, eastern side of the island.
At least 128 centimeters (4.2 feet) of rain has fallen in coastal Taitung county in the past four days and 43 centimeters (17 inches) in the major port city of Kaohsiung ahead of the typhoon.
Authorities shut schools and government offices across the island and canceled all domestic flights.
In Hualien county, more than 3,000 people were evacuated from townships vulnerable to landslides. Almost 200 people in the southwestern city of Tainan and more than 800 residents of the southern Pingtung county were also evacuated.
Kaohsiung, a city of 2.7 million people expected to be directly hit by the typhoon, evacuated more than 2,500 of its residents from areas prone to mudslides and landslides. Military personnel helped evacuees into trucks which took them to temporary shelters.
Most stores and restaurants in the city remained closed for a second consecutive day. Shoppers emptied supermarket shelves of essentials including bread, meat and instant noodles.
Streets and markets were eerily empty. An industrial harbor south of the city was at a standstill.
Kaohsiung’s international airport looked deserted, with all flights canceled. Chan Ka Who, who had traveled there from Malaysia on vacation, said he was trying to return home but was stuck in Kaohsiung because all flights were grounded.
On Wednesday evening, the typhoon was centered about 110 kilometers (68 miles) southwest of Kaohsiung and was moving northeastward at around 8 kph (5 mph). It has been weakening and will continue to do so after landfall, the weather administration said.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai earlier warned residents against approaching areas prone to flooding and landslides near rivers, the sea and the mountains. He likened Krathon’s intensity to that of Typhoon Thelma, which in 1977 badly damaged Kaohsiung and caused 37 deaths.
Almost 40,000 troops were on standby to help with rescue efforts.
In Pingtung county, residents near a flooded harbor piled up sandbags at their doors to prevent water from getting in. People waded through streets flooded up to their ankles.
The typhoon on Monday lashed the northern Philippine islands, where four people were killed and at least 5,000 were displaced, officials said.
A woman struggles with winds generated by Typhoon Krathon in Kaohsiung, Southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
A woman struggles with winds generated by Typhoon Krathon in Kaohsiung, Southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
A woman struggles with winds generated by Typhoon Krathon in Kaohsiung, Southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
An airline staffer works at the counter at a closed airport due to approaching Typhoon Krathon, in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Waves crash onto the coastline of Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon approaches to Taiwan. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Waves crash on the coastline in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon approaches to Taiwan. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
People went to airline counters to ask about canceled flights due to approaching Typhoon Krathon, in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Waves crash on the coastline in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon approaches to Taiwan. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
A man takes a selfie with waves hitting the shore of Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon is expected to hit the area. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Airline staff work at the counter at a closed airport due to approaching Typhoon Krathon, in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
A car moves along the shore in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon is expected to hit the area. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
A car moves along the shore in Kaohsiung, Southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon is expected to hit the area. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
People went to airline counters at an airport to ask about canceled flights due to approaching Typhoon Krathon, in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
A man runs away from waves when he was walking along the shore in Kaohsiung, Southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon is expected to hit the area. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
