A US World War II aerial bomb discovered at a construction site on Pan Hoi Street, Quarry Bay, was successfully defused by the Hong Kong Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau (EOD) at 11:48 a.m. today (Sept. 20). The bomb prompted the evacuation of approximately 6,000 residents from 18 nearby residential and commercial buildings last night. Roads in the area are gradually reopening, and residents are being allowed to return to their homes in an orderly manner.
At a media briefing held at 1:30 p.m., Eastern District Commander Chief Superintendent Chan Tin-chu confirmed that the site is now safe. The operation began at 2 a.m. today and involved a three-step process to neutralize the bomb, despite adverse weather conditions that complicated the procedure.
Senior Bomb Disposal Officer Suryanto Chin-chiu explained that the operation required cutting a one-foot-long hole in the bomb to access the explosives, which took four hours—longer than expected due to the bad weather affecting the setup of tools. After securing the site, the explosives were successfully burned off.
"The explosives were still highly volatile and retained the same destructive power as they did during World War II," he said. "This highlights the necessity of evacuating residents and handling the bomb on-site."
Bomb Disposal Officer Cheung Lap-tak noted that while the operation was relatively quick, the team faced significant challenges due to the complex environment and unpredictability caused by the harsh weather. The bomb's location, surrounded by densely populated residential buildings, posed a considerable risk of collateral damage in the event of an accidental detonation. Extensive protective measures, including sandbag barriers, were put in place to mitigate potential harm.
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