Runway closed at Japanese airport after an unexploded shell explodes on the runway

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on October 2, 2024 shows a crater from an explosion on a runway at Miyazaki Airport in Miyazaki, southwestern Japan. (Kyodo)

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference in Tokyo that a U.S.-made bomb caused the explosion.

The airport was formerly an air base for the Imperial Japanese Navy and was frequently affected by discoveries of unexploded US bombs from World War II. Two unexploded shells were found at the airport in 2011 and 2021.

Fixed-point camera footage captures an explosion that occurred on the taxiway of Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan on October 2, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Civil Aviation College) (Kyodo)

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

After the incident, long queues formed at the flight counters in the airport lobby.

File photo taken in January 2023 shows Miyazaki Airport in Miyazaki, southwestern Japan. (Kyodo)

Photo taken on the morning of October 2, 2024 shows Miyazaki Airport in Miyazaki, southwestern Japan, after closing its runway after an explosion was reported. (Kyodo)

“I had transferred to another flight, but that was also canceled, so I talked to my company and decided to extend my stay,” said Shun Akahori, 28, from Osaka, who was visiting the prefecture on business.

The facility is located approximately 5 kilometers from the center of Miyazaki, the capital of Miyazaki Prefecture, and serves domestic routes, including flights to and from Tokyo’s Haneda airports and Osaka airports, as well as international routes.