Suspected wartime mortar round detonated safely at Hong Kong construction site
No evacations needed as bomb disposal officers complete operation at site in Kwu Tung North on Tuesday morning
A suspected wartime mortar round has been safely detonated by bomb disposal officers at a Hong Kong construction site, with no evacuations needed.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to the South China Morning Post that the suspicious object workers discovered at 9.32am on Tuesday at a construction site at Kwu Tung North Multi-Welfare Services Complex was an unexploded wartime mortar round.
“Since the mortar round was inside the construction site, officers on site confirmed that the surrounding area was safe, with no need for an evacuation,” the source said.
Upon receiving a report, police and Fire Services Department officers arrived at the scene to cordon off an area within a 50-metre (164 feet) radius around the site.
The mortar round was 10 to 15cm (6 inches) long. Officers of the force’s explosive ordnance disposal bureau decided to detonate it at 11.37am and began the task ten minutes later.
The bureau said it did not deploy robots in the operation.
Officers from Lok Ma Chau police district’s patrol sub-unit and the bureau will follow up on the case.