Tokyo (AP)- A World War II-era American bomb buried at a Japanese airport exploded Wednesday, leaving a large crater on a taxiway and canceling more than 80 flights, but causing no injuries, Japanese officials said.
Land and Transport Ministry officials said there were no planes in the vicinity when the bomb exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan.
Officials said an investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police confirmed that the explosion was caused by a 500-pound (226.7 kg) American bomb and that there was no further threat. The reason for its sudden explosion is being ascertained.
Video recorded by a nearby flight school showed chunks of asphalt from the explosion flying into the air like fountains.
Video broadcast on Japanese television showed a crater on the taxiway, approximately 7 meters (23 ft) in diameter and 1 meter (3 ft) deep.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said more than 80 flights were canceled at the airport, which was expected to resume operations Thursday morning.
Miyazaki Airport was built in 1943 as a former Imperial Japanese Navy flying training ground from which some kamikaze pilots flew suicide attack missions.
Defense Ministry officials said several unexploded bombs dropped by the US military during World War II have been discovered in the area.
Hundreds of tons of unexploded war bombs are buried throughout Japan and are sometimes found at construction sites.