Major evacuation continues after second bomb found at Hong Kong site where 450kg wartime explosive unearthed at weekend
Ferries cancelled, roads closed and school sports meeting cut short as police begin operation at building site of Sha Tin-Central rail link in Wan Chai
The area was expected to be shut until Thursday morning as the unexploded ordnance from the second world war was deemed to be in a dangerous position and severely damaged, requiring more time to be defused.
At 11pm, after the evacuation was finished, police said a total of 4,600 people had been evacuated from the area, including 1,500 from the Harbour Centre and 1,000 from Wan Chai Sports Ground.
Bomb disposal officer Alick McWhirter said the American AN-M65 device was found embedded in the ground just 10 metres from where the first one was discovered five days earlier.
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“The bomb is in a dangerous condition. The fuse mechanism is severely damaged and the bomb’s position is making it difficult for our equipment to gain optimum access,” McWhirter said, adding that officers would have to continue overnight to prepare equipment and carry out stabilisation work.