A wartime bomb discovered at a construction site in Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay has been successfully defused and taken away after a disposal operation that took almost 10 hours, the city’s police announced on Saturday afternoon.

The 454-kilogram World War II-era bomb, which contained approximately 227kg of explosives, was safely defused at 11:48 am, according to Chief Superintendent Andy Chan Tin-chu of the Eastern Police District.

The site is now safe, and arrangements are underway to allow nearly 2,900 residents from 18 buildings who were evacuated on Friday night to return home in an orderly manner.

Police were informed about the discovery of the bomb – thought to have been dropped by a US aircraft – at a construction site on Pan Hoi Street at 11:15 am on Friday. The 1.5-meter-long bomb was retrieved from 10 meters below the ground, according to officials.

The Security Bureau swiftly mobilized nearly 500 personnel from the Hong Kong Police Force, the Fire Services Department (FSD), the Civil Aid Service and the Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) to participate in the emergency response operation.

The defusing process began at 2 am on Saturday after officials fully completed securing the site and the evacuation procedure.

ALSO READ: 6,000 people evacuated after 450-kg wartime bomb found in HK

Pointing out that the operation involved three key steps, Senior bomb disposal officer Suryanto Chin-chiu said: “First, the bomb was cut open to expose the explosives. It took four hours to cut a one-foot hole, slightly longer than expected due to adverse weather that delayed the setup of the tools.”

This was followed by the implementation of protective measures, and finally, the incineration of the explosives.

Suryanto emphasized that the high explosives remained highly potent, retaining nearly the same destruction power as when they were first deployed during World War II, which underscored the critical need for on-site disposal and a full public evacuation.

Extremely adverse weather conditions complicated the operation, introducing further unpredictability, said bomb disposal officer Cheung Lap-tak.

“The bomb was located near numerous residential buildings, and any accidental detonation during the disposal process could have posed a serious threat to nearby personnel and residents. Consequently, extensive protective measures were put in place during the initial stages,” Cheung said.

Evacuation

The FSD said it deployed a total of 58 fire and ambulance vehicles, and mobilized 224 fire and ambulance personnel during the incident.  The department also coordinated with the police to carry out a large-scale evacuation, ultimately evacuating a total of 2,887 residents.

Collaborating with the AMS and the Hong Kong St. John Ambulance to assist residents with special needs, the FSD transported five residents who were feeling unwell to the hospital, and six other persons to other suitable accommodations.

The Home Affairs Department had set up a total of 19 temporary shelters to accommodate residents in need. 

Around 450 residents stayed in these shelters on Friday night, where the District Offices staff, Care Team members and volunteers provided overnight support. Bedding and meals were also provided in the shelters, including breakfast and lunch.

For residents' convenience, coaches were arranged by the District Office on Friday night to transport those in need to the temporary shelters, and similar arrangements were made on Saturday to enable residents to return to their homes.

Despite heavy rain, Care Team members provided attentive assistance at pick-up and drop-off points, particularly for elderly persons with mobility difficulties. Support desks were also set up at the lobbies of affected buildings to promptly respond to residents' enquiries.

Earlier in 2018, three bombs were found at a construction site of the Sha Tin to Central Link. In May 2018, a US’ AN-M65 bomb, measuring 145 centimeters long and weighing 450 kg, was discovered in Wan Chai. The EOD dispatched 30 to 40 personnel and spent 20 hours diffusing the bomb. About 1,250 residents were evacuated at that time.