Latest news with #unexplodedOrdnance


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


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.


The Independent
09-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Explosion at US military base in Japan injures four 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. Prefectural officials said the injuries were not life threatening, but no other details were immediately known. The Self Defence 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 specialises 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 U.S. military, remain buried around Japan and are sometimes dug up at construction sites and elsewhere. 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.


Malay Mail
20-05-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Police confirm discovery of Second World War bomb in Tanjung Tokong
GEORGE TOWN, May 20 — An old bomb, believed to be a still-active relic from the Second World War, was discovered at a construction site on Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong. Timur Laut police chief ACP Abdul Rozak Muhammad said police received a report from the public about the bomb's discovery at 9.42 pm. 'The Bomb Disposal Unit (UPB) of the Penang contingent police headquarters (IPK) inspected the object and confirmed that it was an unexploded ordnance (UXO) bomb dating back to the Second World War. 'No casualties or property damage were reported in this incident,' he said in a statement. Abdul Rozak said that the UPB's inspection confirmed the area is safe, and the bomb is scheduled for disposal today. — Bernama