Hong Kong, Sep 20 (IANS) — The Hong Kong Police Force on Saturday morning successfully defused an unexploded World War II bomb uncovered at a construction site in the city’s Eastern District.
Officials confirmed that the area is now safe, evacuated residents can return home, and all road closures have been lifted.
Senior bomb disposal officer Suryanto Chin-chiu said the team neutralized the 1.5-metre-long, 1,000-pound aerial bomb by cutting into its shell and burning the 500 pounds of TNT inside, a delicate operation delayed briefly by rain.
As a precaution, police had evacuated nearly 6,000 residents from nearby buildings by late Friday night. Many spent the night in community centres with support from care teams and District Council members.
Meanwhile, in northern Greece, a World War II-era shell caused a powerful explosion in the town of Tsotyli on Friday, injuring two men.
According to state broadcaster ERT, the blast occurred at an earthmoving machinery yard around 11:30 a.m. local time. A 54-year-old man sustained life-threatening injuries, including severe burns and partial amputations, and was transferred to Hippocrates Hospital in Thessaloniki. A 45-year-old man with fractures underwent orthopedic surgery at Mamatseio Hospital in Kozani.
Army bomb disposal experts later confirmed that the explosion was caused by wartime ammunition remnants. Authorities have cordoned off the site as investigations continue.
