Thousands evacuated as WWII bomb defused in Japan

About 5,400 residents were evacuated in Osaka in western Japan and highways were closed today as army experts disposed of a large unexploded bomb believed to have been dropped by the US military during the Second World War, authorities said.

An explosives disposal unit from the Japanese military safely defused the rusty, 1-ton bomb in the crowded residential area during a 50-minute operation, local army spokesman Shoji Matsumoto said.

Nearby highways and roads were closed, and city buses, boats and flights in and out of nearby airports were rerouted, city officials said in a statement.

The bomb – about 6 feet long – was found by workers at a construction site last month, Matsumoto said.

Although the war ended more than 60 years ago, unexploded bombs still turn up regularly in Japan, where US forces conducted extensive air raids against major cities.

A similar bomb was found in the outskirts of Tokyo in March, forcing 16,000 residents to evacuate for a disposal operation two months later.

Another one was unearthed in Osaka three years ago.