22/10/2024 Giappone, Kyūshū, Ryūkyū, Okinawa
By Jun Yokoyama and Tsuyoshi Sakuragi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
As of this summer, the Ground Self-Defense Force has handled 40,000 cases of unexploded ordnance disposal in Okinawa Prefecture, the setting of fierce ground battles in the final days of the Pacific War. The GSDF has been handling unexploded ordnance disposal in Okinawa Prefecture since it was returned to Japan in 1972. It is estimated that more than 1,800 tons of ordnance have yet to be disposed of in the prefecture. Even 79 years after the war ended, it still casts a dark shadow over Okinawa. You need to leave your home by 8:50 a.m.,” officials from the Naha municipal office told residents on the morning of Sept. 29. The residential district is about 1 kilometer away from Shuri Castle in Naha, where brutal fighting took place during the war. The officials were going door-to-door to tell residents to evacuate as large-scale unexploded ordnance disposal would be carried out in the area. About 1,400 locals and tourists staying at hotels were forced to evacuate, causing upheaval to their lives and the local economy. Signs were set up throughout the area to notify people of scheduled traffic restrictions, and officers from police and fire departments cooperated to evacuate residents and others from the affected areas. The evacuation call extended to a 283-meter radius of the bomb disposal site, and residents from about 470 households, employees at about 80 businesses and guests staying at two large hotels with more than 300 rooms were asked to evacuate. The municipal government set up shelters for them in three schools outside the danger zone. “It’s scary to think there are still unexploded bombs in the area,” a 76-year-old living near the disposal site said before quickly evacuating. The two hotels asked their guests and those with reservations to check out early before traffic was restricted. Some guests simply canceled their reservations.
Danger of explosion
The unexploded bomb that caused the disruptions was found in December last year about a meter underground during sewer works. It was confirmed to be a 250-kilogram U.S.-made bomb measuring 36 centimeters in diameter and 119 centimeters in length. There was a risk of explosion if subjected to shock, high temperatures and other factors because a detonation cord was attached to the bottom of the explosive. Four people, including a young girl, were killed and 34 were injured in Naha in 1974 when an unexploded bomb exploded. To remove the detonation cord and render the bomb safe, the GSDF built a bunker measuring 3 meters in diameter and 6 meters in height and surrounded by protective walls made of sandbags and metal plates. It took about 10 months and cost ¥20 million to complete the bomb disposal. The GSDF’s 101st explosive ordnance disposal unit began bomb disposal operations on Sept. 29 at 10:45 a.m. Members of the GSDF worked in the strong cylindrical bunker and successfully removed the detonation cord in an hour. The bomb was confirmed to be safe about three hours after the evacuation began.
警察は「不発弾を見つけたら近づかず連絡してほしい」と話しています
Dear editors, Biography of a bomb is aimed at highlighting the danger caused by unexploded bombs. Moreover, the most important aspect is that we work completely non profit, raising awerness about this topic is what drives us. We apologize if we make use of pictures in yours articles, but we need them to put a context in how findings are done. We will (and we always do) cite source and author of the picture. We thank you for your comprehension
