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The Independent
09-06-2025
- The Independent
Japanese soldiers injured in Okinawa US military base explosion
Four Japanese soldiers sustained finger injuries in an explosion at a storage site for unexploded wartime ordnance at a US military base in Okinawa. The soldiers were working at an Okinawa prefecture facility storing unexploded ordnance found on the island, a site of intense fighting during World War II. The Self Defence Force (SDF) is investigating reports of the explosion, which occurred at or near Kadena Air Base, involving a team specialising in handling unexploded ordnance. Authorities are working to determine the cause and exact location of the accident. Unexploded wartime bombs remain a hazard in Japan, with a similar incident occurring in October when a US bomb exploded at a commercial airport, disrupting flights.
CTV News
09-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Explosion at a U.S. air base in southern Japan injures 4 Japanese soldiers
U.S. military persons gather near the site of an explosion at a storage site for unexploded ordnances at a U.S. military base in the town of Yomitanson, Okinawa prefecture, southern Japan Monday, June 9, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP) TOKYO — An explosion at a storage site for unexploded ordnance at a U.S. military base on Japan's southern island of Okinawa injured four Japanese soldiers, though the injuries are not life-threatening, officials said Monday. The four soldiers sustained finger injuries while working at a facility that belongs to Okinawa prefecture and temporarily stores unexploded ordnance, mostly from wartime and found on the island, local officials said. One of the harshest battles of World War II was fought on Okinawa. Prefectural officials said the injuries were not life-threatening, but no other details were immediately known. The U.S. Air Force said in a statement that the explosion occurred at the facility managed by the Okinawa prefectural government at Kadena Air Base's munitions storage area. It said no U.S. servicemembers were involved in the incident. The Self Defense Force's joint staff said one of the devices suddenly exploded when the soldiers were inspecting it at the facility. The blast occurred when the soldiers were trying to remove rust, NHK television reported. The SDF said they are trying to confirm what caused the accident. Monday's accident was believed to be the first ever since the 1974 launch of the Japanese army's unexploded ordnance disposal unit. Hundreds of tons of unexploded wartime bombs, many of them dropped by the U.S. military, remain buried around Japan and are sometimes dug up at construction sites and elsewhere. Many of them are still found on Okinawa, where about 1,856 tons of unexploded U.S. bombs are believed to remain. In October, an unexploded wartime U.S. bomb exploded at a commercial airport in southern Japan, causing a large crater and suspending dozens of flights. Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press
Al Arabiya
09-06-2025
- General
- Al Arabiya
Four injured in explosion at US air base in Japan
An explosion injured four men at a Japanese facility for storing unexploded bombs at a US air base in Okinawa on Monday, a fire official said, with their condition reportedly not critical. Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) members at the facility at Kadena Air Base were trying to wipe rust off items at the facility to re-assess if they were bombs, said local fire department official Akira Kamiunten. During that process there was an explosion that injured four male SDF members who were rushed to hospital, he told AFP. Jiji Press and other local media said none of the injuries was life-threatening. A defense ministry spokesman also confirmed reports of an explosion at Kadena Air Base, located on the main island of the southern region of Okinawa. During World War II, Japan used Okinawa as a buffer to slow US forces. More than a quarter of the main island's civilian population died in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. US occupation only ended there in 1972, under a mutual treaty that left American bases in place. Today, Okinawa contains 70 percent of the land used for US bases in Japan, and more than half of the 50,000-strong US troop presence.
Asharq Al-Awsat
09-06-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Explosion at US Air Base in Japan Injures 4 Japanese Soldiers
An explosion at a storage site for unexploded wartime ordnances at a US military base on Japan's southern island of Okinawa injured four Japanese soldiers, though the injuries are not life threatening, officials said Monday. The four soldiers had injuries to their fingers while working at a facility that belongs to Okinawa prefecture to store unexploded ordnance found on the island, where one of the harshest battles of World War II was fought, local officials said. According to The Associated Press, prefectural officials said the injuries were not life threatening, but no other details were immediately known. The Self Defense Force's joint staff said they were looking into reports of an explosion at Kadena Air Base that occurred while a team of Japanese soldiers that specializes in handling unexploded ordnance was working near or at the base. The SDF said they are trying to confirm the cause of the accident and where it occurred. Hundreds of tons of unexploded wartime bombs, many of them dropped by the US military, remain buried around Japan and are sometimes dug up at construction sites and elsewhere. In October, an unexploded wartime US bomb exploded at a commercial airport in southern Japan, causing a large crater and suspending dozens of flights.
Malay Mail
09-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Explosion at US air base in Japan's Okinawa injures four soldiers
TOKYO, June 9 — An explosion injured four men at a Japanese facility for storing unexploded bombs at a US air base in Okinawa today, a fire official said, with their condition reportedly not critical. Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) members at the facility at Kadena Air Base were trying to wipe rust off items at the facility to re-assess if they were bombs, said local fire department official Akira Kamiunten. During that process there was an explosion that injured four male SDF members who were rushed to hospital, he told AFP. Jiji Press and other local media said none of the injuries was life-threatening. A defence ministry spokesman also confirmed reports of an explosion at Kadena Air Base, located on the main island of the southern region of Okinawa. During World War II, Japan used Okinawa as a buffer to slow US forces. More than a quarter of the main island's civilian population died in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. US occupation only ended there in 1972, under a mutual treaty that left American bases in place. Today, Okinawa contains 70 per cent of the land used for US bases in Japan, and more than half of the 50,000-strong US troop presence. — AFP
