A large US-made bomb left over from World War II was defused after it was discovered at a construction site, police said.
According to CBS News, Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes after a 1,000-pound bomb was found by construction workers in Quarry Bay, a bustling residential and business district on the west side of Hong Kong island. The bomb was nearly five feet long.
“We have confirmed this object to be a bomb dating back to World War II," said Andy Chan Tin-Chu, a police official, speaking to reporters ahead of the operation. He said that because of "the exceptionally high risks associated with its disposal," approximately 1,900 households involving 6,000 individuals were "urged to evacuate swiftly."
The operation to deactivate the bomb began late Friday and lasted until around 11:30 a.m. Saturday. No one was injured in the operation.
Bombs left over from World War II are discovered from time to time in Hong Kong and across Europe.
The city was occupied by Japanese forces during the war, when it became a base for the Japanese military and shipping. The United States, along with other Allied forces, targeted Hong Kong in air raids to disrupt Japanese supply lines and infrastructure.
Bombs from the war have triggered evacuations and emergency measures around the globe in recent months.
Earlier this month, a 500-pound bomb was discovered in Slovakia's capital during construction work, prompting evacuations.
In August, large parts of Dresden, Germany, were evacuated so experts could defuse an unexploded World War II bomb found during clearance work for a collapsed bridge.
