Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan reopened on Thursday morning after being closed due to the explosion of an unexploded wartime shell, which damaged part of its taxiway. According to local media reports, a Japan Airlines flight to Fukuoka was the first to depart at 7:40 a.m. after safety inspections were completed.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when a blast was heard on the airport’s taxiway shortly before 8 a.m. Local air traffic controllers noticed smoke rising from the area. The explosion left a 7-meter-long, 4-meter-wide, and 1-meter-deep hole in the asphalt near the taxiway. Fortunately, no one was injured, but 87 flights were canceled by 2 p.m. as the runway remained closed.
Japan‘s Self-Defense Forces, along with authorities, investigated the site and confirmed that the explosion was caused by a 500-pound bomb dropped during World War II.
