Miyazaki Airport taxiway abnormal reaction not unexploded bombs, flight takeoffs and landings resumed

On October 16, staff at Miyazaki Airport conducted magnetic detection following an explosion that occurred on the runway on October 2. After the incident, which was confirmed to be caused by an unexploded bomb from World War II, officials detected magnetic responses near the explosion site. However, after excavating the area, the authorities determined that the findings were actually large quantities of iron sand, not unexploded ordnance. As a result, normal flight operations at the airport resumed this morning.

The incident at Miyazaki Airport took place around 8 a.m. on October 2, leading to a significant collapse of the runway. The Japanese government identified the cause as an explosive from an American-made bomb, highlighting the legacy of the airport’s history—originally built as a Japanese naval base during World War II. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism initiated an emergency investigation on the evening of October 16 to ascertain whether there were any additional unexploded bombs beneath the airport’s surface.

According to reports from Kyodo News, the Miyazaki Airport office under the Ministry confirmed today that the magnetic response detected during the recent emergency checks was investigated and found to be due to large quantities of iron sand rather than unexploded ordnance. With safety assured, flights were able to resume this morning.

The airport office noted that their magnetic survey indicated the presence of foreign objects at a depth of about 160 centimeters near the explosion site, prompting the excavation that confirmed the findings. Established in 1943, Miyazaki Airport served as a naval base before transitioning to a civilian airport in 1954.