Thousands evacuated from Hong Kong homes after discovery of large WWII-era bomb
The work to make the device safe began late on Friday and was completed by 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. No one was hurt during the operation, according to police.
September 20, 2025 08:57 PM IST
First published on: Sep 20, 2025 at 07:12 PM IST
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In this photo taken in the early hours of Sept. 20. 2025 and released by Hong Kong Police, police officers prepare to defuse a large U.S.-made bomb left over from World War II that was discovered at a construction site in Hong Kong. (Photo: AP)
Thousands of people in Hong Kong were moved from their homes after a large World War II bomb was discovered at a construction site and safely defused, police said.
The bomb, which was made in the United States, was about 1.5 metres long and weighed around 450 kilograms. It was found by construction workers in Quarry Bay, a busy residential and commercial area on Hong Kong Island.
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Andy Chan Tin-Chu, a police officer, told reporters before the disposal that the device was confirmed as a wartime bomb, as reported by the Associated Press (AP).
In this photo taken in the early hours of Sept. 20. 2025 and released by Hong Kong Police, police officers prepare to defuse a large US-made bomb left over from World War II that was discovered at a construction site in Hong Kong. (Hong Kong Police via AP)
“We have confirmed this object to be a bomb dating back to World War II,” he said.
Chan added that “because of the exceptionally high risks associated with its disposal,” about 1,900 households, or around 6,000 people, were “urged to evacuate swiftly.”
The work to make the device safe began late on Friday and was completed by 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. No one was hurt during the operation, according to police.
Bombs from World War II are sometimes found in Hong Kong. The city was occupied by Japanese forces during the conflict and became a base for military operations and shipping. The United States and other Allied forces carried out air raids on Hong Kong to disrupt Japanese supply lines and infrastructure.
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In this photo taken in the early hours of Sept. 20. 2025 and released by Hong Kong Police, police officers prepare to defuse a large U.S.-made bomb left over from World War II that was discovered at a construction site in Hong Kong. (Photo: AP) 
