KOTA KINABALU: A World War II-era bomb was safely detonated by the Bomb Disposal Unit from the Papar and Sabah police headquarters on Wednesday morning (Feb 26).
Papar police chief Supt Kamaruddin Ambo Sakka confirmed that the controlled detonation of the unexploded ordnance (UXO) took place at 10.30am.
It was discovered by a backhoe operator during a routine excavation at a construction site near Lok Kawi Plastic Industries in Kinarut at around 1.30pm on Tuesday (Feb 25).
The worker had noticed a large unidentified object while digging.
"Upon carefully extracting it from the ground, he realised it was an old bomb and immediately alerted the police. A team was deployed to secure and assess the site," he said.
Kamaruddin said that the Bomb Disposal Unit confirmed that the bomb was still active, and believed it was a remnant from World War II.
"During the detonation process, as a precautionary measure, several roads in the vicinity were temporarily closed, and the Railway Department was notified to suspend operations during the detonation process," he added.
Public announcements were made to warn residents, while multiple agencies, including the Environment Department, Civil Aviation Department, Sabah Electricity, Sabah Health Department, and the Fire and Rescue Department, coordinated safety measures.
"If anyone encounters suspicious objects, they should report them immediately to the police by calling 088-912222 or their nearest police station," Kamaruddin said.
