'Armed and dangerous' World War II bomb found and defused on Nauru Island

On the small Pacific island of Nauru, a potentially catastrophic situation was averted when an "armed and dangerous" World War II bomb was successfully dug up and defused, as reported by the country's police force.

For almost two weeks, Nauru's 12,000 residents were on high alert, and schools were closed as Australian military specialists worked to disarm the 500-pound (227-kilogram) explosive, which was initially discovered. Faced with the dangerous situation, Nauru's government declared a state of emergency across the island, ordering the evacuation of all houses within two kilometers (1.2 miles) of the bomb.

After meticulous efforts, the bomb was disarmed and moved to a safe location for disposal, as confirmed by the police. A team of Australian bomb disposal experts had been dispatched to Nauru to assist in the delicate operation, employing deep trenches and large containers filled with sand to absorb any potential explosion.

The safety of Nauru's 12,000 residents and vital infrastructure was paramount in the operation, as Lieutenant Jordan Bell of the Australian team emphasized.

"The item is extremely dangerous so our key concern has been the safety of the people of Nauru as well as the vital infrastructure that supplies water and power that is in the immediate vicinity," Australian lieutenant Jordan Bell said ahead of the operation.

Nauru, one of the world's smallest countries, is located approximately 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) northeast of Sydney. During World War II, the island was occupied by Japanese troops from 1942 to 1945. The discovery of the unexploded ordnance on the island serves as a reminder of the lasting impact and dangers posed by remnants of past conflicts, with many parts of the Pacific still affected by the legacy of brutal combat between Japan and the United States during the war.

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