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Hong Kong Defuses 1,000-Pound WWII Bomb After Overnight Evacuation of 6,000

The U.S.-made device unearthed at a Quarry Bay site highlights the recurring risk of buried wartime ordnance in the city.

Overview

  • Construction workers uncovered the 1.5-metre, roughly 450-kilogram bomb at a Quarry Bay construction site on Friday.
  • Police explosives experts judged the device to be fully functional, prompting an emergency plan to clear about 6,000 people from 18 nearby buildings.
  • Roads near Pan Hoi Street were closed, some Quarry Bay MTR exits were shut, and the Home Affairs Department opened 19 temporary shelters.
  • The disposal operation ran through the night and concluded around 11:30 a.m. Saturday with the bomb made safe and no injuries reported.
  • Authorities cited earlier discoveries in Wan Chai in 2018 and Happy Valley in 2014 as reminders that redevelopment can expose WWII-era ordnance.