Overview
- On June 9, four SDF personnel were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries following the blast at the unexploded ordnance facility.
- The explosion occurred while members were removing rust from suspected bombs to assess whether the munitions were live.
- Public broadcaster NHK reported the blast may have taken place in a temporary storage area for unexploded munitions.
- A defense ministry spokesperson said investigators have received early reports and have yet to confirm what triggered the explosion.
- Kadena Air Base hosts over half of the 50,000 US troops in Japan and serves as a strategic hub for regional security.