Cops dispose of WWII bomb in Pahang

 

A 226kg bomb, believed to be a relic from World War II found in Felda Triang 1, Bera, Pahang, was disposed of at 11.15am today by a Bukit Aman bomb disposal unit (UPB).

Bukit Aman Logistics and Technology Department’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) unit assistant director ACP Mohammad Rafee Abu Bakar said preparations to blow up the bomb started yesterday by building sand bars and ditches around the bomb to reduce the impact of the explosion.

He said the vibration, sound and heat of the explosion from the metre-long UXO Aerial Bomb with a circumference of 32 inches was expected to be felt for 2km without the sand bars and ditches.

“The detonating operation was made using a detonator wire connected to the bomb and was activated 200m away. It was too risky to move the bomb, which was buried three feet underground.

“The first explosion was to split open the bomb to release the explosive to avoid the impact of a total explosion.

“The second explosion about 15 minutes later, which was much stronger, was to blow up the fuse and booster,” he told reporters at the scene today.

A total 30 personnel from Bukit Aman UPB Unit were involved in the operation and were assisted by the Pahang police contingent headquarters’ UPB Unit and the Bera and Temerloh district police headquarters.

Meanwhile, Bera district police chief DSP Mansor Samsudin said 123 families within 500 metres of the bomb were moved out to the nearby Mara Junior Science College early this morning for the operation.

He said the police had also cordoned off the location after the bomb was found to prevent the public from approaching the site while warnings on the disposal effort were issued this morning to alert the public.

Backhoe operator Mohd Fekri Mansor, 39, who discovered the bomb said he felt the shovel hit a hard object about 90 minutes after he started work on Monday (August 2) at 2pm.

Initially, Fekri thought it was a boulder and attempted three times to dig up the area around it only to find a metal like object buried in the soil.

“I scrutinised the object from my seat and I realised it was a bomb. I immediately got off the backhoe and told the land owner to call the police,” he said, adding that it was the second time he had found a bomb.

Felda Triang 1 settler, Mohd Sayuti Zakaria, 53, was thankful his family of eight was safe although the bomb was only buried 70 metres behind the house they had been staying in for the past 30 years.

“It is scary to think that we often cleared the shrubs and burned the rubbish there. In fact, the bomb was only found after I rented a backhoe to level the land after contemplating on extending the house in future,” he added.

- Bernama