World War II grenades, mortar found on Hong Kong hillside, forcing police to close section of popular hiking trail
- Military enthusiast discovers explosives off Wilson Trail near Stanley
- Bomb disposal officers detonated the items at the scene at about 5pm
Four grenades and a mortar from the second world war were unearthed near a popular Hong Kong hiking trail on Sunday afternoon.
The explosives were found by a 28-year-old military enthusiast with a metal detector at about 12.50pm on a slope close to the Wilson Trail in the Tai Tam Country Park near Stanley.
The man was one of several people who spend their weekends scouring the city’s second world war battle sites for items that may have been left behind.
Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau examined the weapons at the spot about 50 metres from Stanley Gap Road. The entrance to the Wilson Trail on that road was blocked off while the operation took place.
The items included a 20-cm mortar with a diameter of 6cm, and four grenades, each measuring 15cm.
At about 5pm, bomb specialists detonated the items at the scene, with a loud “bang” heard. Shortly before that, dozens of hikers were evacuated.
