Buried 500-pound World War Two bomb explodes at Japanese airport

A World War Two 500-pound US bomb that was buried at a Japanese airport exploded on Wednesday, leaving a large crater on the taxiway, Japanese officials said.

Authorities reported no injuries and said more than 80 flights had to be cancelled at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan.

Land and Transport Ministry officials said there were no aircraft nearby when the bomb exploded.

Japanese authorities have confirmed there is no further danger and are investigating the cause of the sudden detonation.

A video from a nearby aviation school captured the blast, sending chunks of asphalt flying into the air.

Footage showed the crater was about 7 metres in diameter and 1 metre (3 feet) deep.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said he hopes to resume operations at the airport on Thursday morning.

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Miyazaki Airport, built in 1943 as a training base for the Imperial Japanese Navy, was once used by kamikaze pilots for suicide attack missions.

Many unexploded bombs dropped by the US during the World War Two have been discovered in the area, Defense Ministry officials said.

Nonetheless, hundreds of unexploded World War Two bombs are still believed to be buried across Japan, often uncovered at construction sites.

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