‘Second World War bomb’ found near Fukushima plant

Area around wrecked nuclear plant in Japan shut as bomb disposal unit deploys

Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. File photograph: Kyodo News/AP
Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. File photograph: Kyodo News/AP

A suspected second World War-era bomb has been found during construction work near the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.

The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), said a worker spotted it while digging at a car park about 1km (0.6 miles) north of the reactors destroyed in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The car park is part of the sprawling nuclear plant complex.

A 200m (650ft) area around the site was closed off, Tepco said.

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It is far enough away not to affect the delicate plant decommissioning work, the utility said.

The defence ministry said the rusty object was about 85cm (33in) long and 15cm (6in) wide.

A military bomb disposal unit was headed to the site.

The area was home to a former military airport that was targeted by US aerial bombardment in the second World War, Tepco said.

AP