Thousands evacuated in Hong Kong after discovery of large WWII-era bomb
Authorities ordered about 1,900 households, roughly 6,000 people, to evacuate as bomb disposal teams worked to defuse a 1,000-pound, US-made device found at a Quarry Bay construction site.
Thousands of residents in Hong Kong were ordered to evacuate overnight after construction workers discovered a large World War II-era bomb at a Quarry Bay construction site on the city’s eastern side. Police said the device was nearly five feet long and weighed about 1,000 pounds. "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 added 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 warning prompted authorities to cordon off the area and relocate residents while specialists prepared to neutralize the device.
The operation to defuse the bomb began late Friday and continued until around 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Officials said no injuries were reported as the city’s residents complied with the evacuee orders and bomb disposal teams worked to render the device safe.
Bombs left over from World War II are discovered from time to time in Hong Kong, a former British colony that was occupied by Japanese forces during the war and used as a base for military operations. Allied air campaigns, including U.S. efforts, targeted Hong Kong to disrupt Japanese shipping and infrastructure. The United States and other Allied powers conducted air raids to hinder Japanese supply lines during the conflict. The city still deals with the legacy of those years, including occasional discoveries of unexploded ordnance and the ongoing work of bomb disposal authorities to ensure public safety.
Officials highlighted that such discoveries are not unusual for a city deeply scarred by war memories and dense development where old ordnance can surface at construction sites. While this incident did not result in injuries, authorities reiterated the risk posed by World War II-era munitions and the importance of swift, precautionary evacuations when such devices are found. The operation’s successful conclusion without harm was noted by police and emergency response teams as a demonstration of coordinated action to protect residents while addressing a hazardous legacy of the war.
Hong Kong’s wartime history remains a backdrop for these ongoing safety efforts. The city’s occupation, followed by Allied and specifically American air operations against Japanese installations, shaped decades of postwar recovery. Even as the region has transformed into a global hub, the potential for unexploded ordnance from that era continues to prompt emergency planning and rapid response measures when unearthed at construction sites or in other urban areas.