A British-made unexploded aerial bomb weighing 250 kg discovered during drainage repair work on prefectural road 79 in Ishigaki City, was safely removed on Saturday.

The Japan Self Defense Force Unexploded Ordnance Disposal Unit started the removal of the bomb at 16:40 Saturday afternoon, and the work was finished 40 minutes later with the removal of the fuse. The evacuation of people from the danger area within a radius of 283 meters from the ordnance started at 13:30, and hotels and restaurants within the area were temporary closed.

2,138 people in 1,246 households and 70 offices were guided to five shelters outside of the area. The traffic in the vicinity was halted from 15:45 until the process was finished. The operation started with a 20-minute delay, but was finished almost on time. The bomb was transferred to a storehouse in the city to be destroyed later.

A local resident said, “I was surprised that the bomb was in my neighborhood. I feel happy to be safe now. I realized that we still have a bitter legacy from the war in Okinawa.”

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