Runway closed at Japan airport after dud shell explodes on taxiway

MIYAZAKI — A dud shell exploded on a taxiway at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan on Wednesday, forcing the closure of its runway, although no injuries were reported in the morning incident, authorities said.

Video footage from the Civil Aviation College, which uses the airport as a pilot training base, showed a black cloud of dust shooting up from the ground two minutes after an aircraft passed the site.

The transport ministry said its officials found a hole with a diameter of 7 meters and a depth of 1 meter on the taxiway after an explosion was heard around 8 a.m. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's explosive ordnance disposal unit investigated the site.

All flights to and from the airport were suspended from around 9 a.m., with airport authorities aiming to resume services from Thursday morning after filling the hole.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference in Tokyo that a U.S.-made bomb was the cause of the explosion.

Formerly an air base of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the airport has often been affected by discoveries of unexploded U.S. bombs from World War II. Two unexploded shells were found at the airport in 2011 and another in 2021.

Local firefighters said they received a report at around 8:10 a.m. that an explosion was heard. Police instructed airport personnel to evacuate the area.

Long lines formed at airline counters in the airport's lobby following the incident.

"I had switched to another flight but that too has been canceled, so I talked with my company and decided to extend my stay," said Shun Akahori, 28, from Osaka, who was visiting the prefecture for business.

The facility is some 5 kilometers from central Miyazaki, the capital of Miyazaki Prefecture, and serves domestic routes, including those to and from Tokyo's Haneda airport and Osaka airport, as well as international routes.

© KYODO