Police Dismantle 45kg US Wartime Bomb At Kai Tak

Police say they've safely disposed of a 45kg wartime bomb which could have caused "serious damage" to homes and transport facilities at the former Kai Tak airport site.

Bomb squad officers were called in on Thursday afternoon after the device was found at a construction site at the intersection of Concorde Road and Muk Yuen Street. About 2,000 local residents were evacuated.

The discovery forced the closure of the nearby Kai Tak MTR Station, which eventually reopened at 7am on Friday.

The bomb was identified as an American airborne bomb dating to the second world war. Police said it weighed about 100 pounds (45 kilogrammes)

The force said on Facebook that its bomb disposal team worked through the night to dismantle the device.

"The bomb was badly damaged and was in a dangerous and unstable condition. It could not be moved safely from the location," said Senior Superintendent Alick McWhirter.

"If it had exploded it would have caused serious damage to nearby residences and the nearby MTR. However my team were able to work overnight to render safe the device, the bomb, without injuries and without casualties despite some fairly terrible weather conditions."

He thanked construction workers and site managers for their cooperation and apologised to residents and commuters who were inconvenienced.

"However as you will understand, a 100 pound aircraft bomb, had it exploded, would have caused serious damage and injuries to an extensive area around this location."

Police have disposed of a series of second world war bombs in recent years as development continues around Victoria Harbour.

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