A US bomb explosion leaves a huge crater at Miyazaki Airport and leads to the cancellation of almost 90 flights.

The detonation of a U.S. bomb, likely dropped during World War II, has forced the closure of a regional airport in Japan.

The buried weapon exploded near the runway of Miyazaki Airport on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu on Wednesday. The explosion damaged a runway and led to the grounding of all 87 flights scheduled for that day.

Miyazaki, which served as a base for “kamikaze” pilots, closed its runway early Wednesday after an explosion left a seven-meter (23-foot) wide and one-meter (3.2-foot) deep crater in the center of the runway, as an official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said.

A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force bomb disposal team later determined that the cause of the explosion was a U.S. bomb buried beneath the land surface, which was likely the result of a wartime airstrike, the official added.

No injuries were reported, but live camera footage showed that a plane had recently taxied near the blast site, which was about 100 meters (109 yards) from the terminal building, local broadcaster MRT reported.

Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said the runway was expected to reopen on Thursday morning after repair work to fill the hole was completed.

According to the airport’s website, the affected flights were operated by JAL, ANA and other airlines connecting Miyazaki to cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.

“Kamikaze” base

According to the Miyazaki City website, from 1943 until the end of World War II, Miyazaki Airport was a Japanese naval base from which hundreds of young “kamikaze” pilots departed on their final missions.

Several unexploded US bombs had previously been found at the airport, the Transportation Department official noted.

More than 79 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs from the intense air raids are still being found all over Japan.

According to the Self-Defense Forces, a total of 2,348 bombs weighing 37.5 tons were disposed of in fiscal year 2023.