Scare : Huge WW2 bomb found in Hong Kong

A policeman inspects 1,000lb World War Two bomb unearthed in Wan Chai District of Hong Kong island

It took more than 12 hours to defuse a 1,000lb US World War Two bomb found on a building site after 1,300 people were evacuated from the area.

The device was found 15 metres underground at a construction site for Hong Kong's new £7.88billion ($11.17billion) Sha Tin Central rail link yesterday morning.

It was said to have been dropped by US forces in the Second World War, during the Japanese occupation of the islands sometime between 1941 and 1945.





Tony Chow Shek-kin, senior bomb disposal officer, told the South China Morning Post that the device was very dangerous.

He said:
'It could have caused extensive damage. If the bomb exploded the force could have affected the surrounding area within 200 metres, with fragments flying as far as 2,000 metres.

'The whole process was quite complicated. It took a bit longer than we expected.

'Once we cut the first hole, we realised it would be difficult to cut holes in other areas ... as some angles were harder to approach.

'Because the bomb was so big, we had to cut several holes to burn off the explosives inside.  The space was tight and the bomb was also slanted at an angle.'

The large cylinder ANM-65 device is 140cm-long, 45cm in diameter and weighs around 450kg (1,000lb).