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Bomb closes Japan airport

October 30, 2012

A major Japanese regional airport has been shut down after a huge unexploded World War II bomb was uncovered near a runway. All flights scheduled to leave Sendai airport on Tuesday were cancelled.

https://p.dw.com/p/16ZG1
Employees deal with passengers at the counter at Sendai Airport in Sendai, northern Japan after flights in and out of the airport were canceled Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. The airport has been closed after an unexploded bomb believed to be from World War II was found during construction near a runway. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, FRANCE, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA
Image: AP

The northern city of Sendai was devastated during the March 2011 tsunami that hit Japan, and its airport was closed for months. It's understood a worker rebuilding drainage systems near the airport found the 225 kilogram (496 pounds) bomb on Monday evening.

Local police official Hiroshi Ouchi said a bomb squad from the military was called out to the site and was considering evacuations.

He said more than 90 domestic and international flights in and out of Sendai airport were cancelled for Tuesday.

It's believed the bomb was dropped by the US during wartime. Unexploded bombs and shells from the second world war are still occasionally found in Japan.

Local media are reporting the bomb was 110 centimetres long (43 inches) and 35 centimetres in diameter.

jr/jlw (AFP, AP)