Suspected unexploded WWII bomb found at university in Japan

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - A suspected World War II-era bomb was found Tuesday on the campus of Hiroshima University in western Japan, prompting a partial evacuation and class cancellations, Japanese police said, according to Kyodo News.

The cylindrical object, measuring about 90 centimeters (3 feet) in length and 25 centimeters (10 inches) in diameter, was discovered at around 10.20 am local time (0120GMT) at a construction site on the school’s Kasumi campus in Minami Ward.

Construction workers uncovered the device during excavation related to the demolition of a building at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The site is approximately 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) south of the JR Hiroshima Station.

Authorities sealed off the area and called in the Self-Defense Forces to assess and safely remove the bomb. Afternoon classes were canceled as a precaution.

The JR Hiroshima Station was the former site of the Hiroshima Army Ordnance Depot, a key arsenal used by the Japanese military during World War II, according to local broadcaster NHK.