Latest news with #unexplodedordnance
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.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Explosion at a US air base in southern Japan injures at least 1 Japanese soldier
TOKYO (AP) — An explosion at or near a U.S. military base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa injured at least one Japanese soldier but the injury is not life threatening, Japanese defense officials said Monday. The Self Defense Force's joint staff said they are 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.
Russia Today
09-06-2025
- General
- Russia Today
Blast rocks largest US air base in Asia-Pacific
An explosion rocked a storage depot used to temporarily house unexploded munitions at the US Kadena Air Base in Okinawa on Monday, injuring at least four people, according to local media and defense sources. The blast occurred around 11:20am local time, injuring four members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF), according to military sources cited by public broadcasters NHK and Jiji Press. None of the injuries were life-threatening, officials said. The affected facility was reportedly operated by the Ground Self-Defense Force's unexploded ordnance disposal team and is located within the US military's largest air base in the Asia-Pacific region. Local authorities and emergency services responded to the incident in Yomitan Village. Kadena Air Base has yet to issue a formal statement, as both Japanese and US military officials continue to assess the extent of the damage. Kadena Air Base, located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, is the largest and most strategically significant US Air Force installation in the Asia-Pacific region. Often referred to as the 'Keystone of the Pacific,' the base spans more than 2,000 hectares and houses approximately 20,000 personnel. It serves as the headquarters of the US Air Force's 18th Wing, the largest combat wing in the service. DETAILS TO FOLLOW
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Why is a Guernsey field being surveyed for undetonated bombs?
A field in Guernsey is to be surveyed later after suspicions were raised there could be undetonated World War Two bombs lurking deep beneath the in June 1940, the Channel Islands were the only British territories to be occupied by the Germans during the war. A contractor will be inspecting fields next to Route Isabelle, in St Peter Port, in the east of the island, after islanders raised concerns a previous survey had not looked deep enough for bombs. Wartime flight paths and military records point to unexploded ordnance potentially lying beneath the field, said bomb disposal expert Ben Remfrey, who ramped up pressure on the issue in October last former soldier said the most likely reason he believed there were bombs in the Foulon Farm area because of an event on 3 March 1941, when the RAF sent squadrons from airfields in the south of England to bomb the French port of Brest, which was in German hands. "The target was the German battleship, the Admiral Hipper, which was in dry dock," he said."It was a cloudy wet night and a number of the bombers could not identify the target and some were damaged by anti-aircraft fire." He said a few planes flew back to base and those that still had their payload onboard had to jettison, or throw out, the bombs due to them being unstable to land with."The jettison area was thought to be the Hurd Deep, north of Guernsey, and the route from Brest back to southern England passed over Guernsey in some instances," he said. What do authorities say? In 2018, the States of Guernsey was made aware of the potential existence of these unexploded aircraft-dropped bombs near Route Isabelle.A year later, a private specialist company was commissioned by the States to survey the land but no evidence was ever found of any October 2024 Guernsey Police said there was "no strong evidence that these devices exist" and officials had "already conducted precautionary work to ensure the risk to the community is minimal".In February 2025 Dave Le Ray, director of operations for Justice and Regulation, said "specialist advice" indicated the risk was "low" but the States had decided to "commission a deep survey" following concerns raised by residents and Mr Remfrey. How common is it to find WW2 ordnance? Mr Remfrey said live ordnances from World War Two continued to be found around the globe and it was important to make them safe."For one reason or another, a good deal of ordnance fails to function as designed when dropped - over time, the fusing mechanisms 'let go' and the bombs then detonate," he said."The perception is that these bombs, after 84 years, are rusty and unlikely to detonate is utterly unfounded." He said ordnance of "varying diameter" was found regularly in the Channel Islands, with most of it dealt by the police bomb disposal of a roll bomb found on Guernsey's south coast was detonated last October, and the bottom of the cliffs in the same area were closed off as a bomb was detonated in unexploded WW2 bomb was found and detonated on Jersey's east coast last Remfrey said air dropped weapons were "generally buried out of site" and that they could remain in "near perfect condition".He said if bombs were found, the Ministry of Defence would excavate and assess the ordnance, with safety cordons and evacuation options put in place.
Asharq Al-Awsat
27-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sudan Destroys Nearly 50,000 Explosive War Remnants
At least 14 people have been killed and 36 injured in 50 explosions linked to war debris across Sudan, the head of the national demining authority said, as security teams ramp up efforts to clear tens of thousands of unexploded ordnance. Major General Khalid Hamdan, Director of the Sudan National Mine Action Center, told Asharq Al-Awsat that more than 49,000 explosive remnants have been destroyed so far, including 37,000 large munitions and 12,000 smaller shells. Similar quantities have been collected for disposal in the coming days in Khartoum, while 8,000 mortar rounds were destroyed in Gezira state in central Sudan. Hamdan said Khartoum has emerged as one of the most heavily contaminated regions due to the ongoing conflict, with army engineering units currently removing landmines allegedly planted by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near the El-Jaili oil refinery, the Salha district in southern Omdurman, and scattered areas in River Nile state. He warned that the actual toll from war debris could be significantly higher in RSF-controlled areas, where access is limited due to communication blackouts and civilians are often unable to report incidents or seek medical help. Seven specialized teams are currently deployed in Khartoum to clear unexploded ordnance from critical infrastructure, including United Nations buildings, government offices and banks, Hamdan said. Additional clearance teams, supported by the Ministry of Defense, are operating in the states of Gezira, Sennar, Blue Nile, White Nile and Kordofan. Hamdan estimated that $90 million is required to fully remove war remnants and reduce the threat posed to civilians across the country. He also said the demining mission has faced serious financial setbacks, particularly following US President Donald Trump's decision to halt foreign assistance. 'The UN's mine action office in Port Sudan was on the brink of closure, and only survived thanks to emergency Canadian funding,' he told Asharq Al-Awsat. Hamdan said the current conflict has made clearance operations more dangerous and complex. 'Before the war, it was easier to identify and isolate hazardous areas. But now, fighting has engulfed heavily populated regions, making awareness campaigns and citizen reporting essential,' he said. He noted that Sudan was close to declaring itself mine-free before the war reignited widespread contamination. 'The war has reversed years of progress. Unexploded ordnance is now scattered across several states, especially in Khartoum, where the fighting first erupted.'
