It is the second wartime weapon to be found on the island this year.
An unexploded World War II bomb has been found in RPC 3, on Nauru. The area, which is currently being developed as one of Nauru’s family camps, was evacuated at approximately 5pm Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Refugee Action Coalition the weapon was discovered by a contractor in a building site, where prefabricated shelters are currently being built.
The weapon is not the first of its kind to be found in areas inhabited by many refugees, including young children. It follows the discovery of Howitzer artillery shell found in the vicinity of family camp OPC3 in April 2014.
In the wake of the first discovery The Guardian reported a spokesperson for then Immigration Minister Scott Morrison stated the bomb was deemed “inert” and some asylum seekers were evacuated from the exclusion zone. Mr Morrison’s office did not comment on the measures taken in determining the safety of the area before beginning the transfer of refugees.
Today’s discovery does nothing to quell concerns that construction sites on Nauru are not being adequately examined and assessed before building commences, and refugees are transferred.
The Japanese occupied the island during the second world war and multiple unexploded ordnance have been uncovered over the last 70 years.
Undetonated wartime weapons in an area inhabited by families and young children- further proof that detention facilities such as Nauru are no place for children.
Top Comments
Good thing it was rendered safe. It's a problem all over the world as bombs as far back as the American Civil War are still capable of exploding. In Germany, construction crews in the cities are well aware of the problem, as are farmers in Flanders from World War I. In the bay off Bari in Italy German planes sunk a US freighter in 1943 that was holding a shipment of mustard gas shells and that remains problematic.
There are also 9 missing US nukes from accidents, the most concerning being the Mark 15 device that landed in the waters just off Savannah, Georgia following a mid air crash in 1958. At 4MT, if it went off, it would destroy the city. Following that, there is a 20MT device off Palmores, Spain when a B-52 and airborne tanker collided.
I couldn't even begin to think what you can find around the former USSR. In any event, the risk of being hurt from a UXB is incredibly low compared to just about anything else. Construction crews in affected areas know to look out from them and nothing about this discovery means you get a free pass to Australia.
It is getting to the point where nothing will surprise me. Horrific.