At least five people have died and nearly 20 others were injured after a suspected World War II-era bomb exploded in a remote Indonesian fishing village on Sunday afternoon.
The disaster unfolded in Biak Numfor Regency, located within Indonesia's eastern Papua region. A thunderous boom shattered the afternoon quiet as the ordnance detonated directly beneath a coastal stilt house. Local footage broadcast by Kompas TV captured a massive fireball erupting from the site, followed by a thick column of black smoke rolling into the sky. The sheer force of the blast was so immense that it completely leveled nine surrounding homes, News.Az reports, citing Ratopati.
Papua Police spokesperson Chief Commissioner Cahyo Sukarnito confirmed that investigators strongly suspect the tragedy was triggered by an unexploded wartime relic. "The source of the explosion is strongly suspected to have been a bomb or mortar left over from World War II," Sukarnito stated. While forensic teams are still analyzing the scene, preliminary local accounts suggest the blast may have occurred when residents accidentally detonated the device while trying to dismantle it to remove the gunpowder inside.
Search and rescue operations remain active at the scene, though emergency responders face a tense environment. Three people are still officially missing, and authorities are working to identify human remains recovered from the debris. To ensure public safety, police have locked down the perimeter after uncovering a second, active World War II-era mortar nearby. At least 19 individuals who sustained minor injuries are currently receiving medical treatment.
The incident highlights the persistent, decades-old dangers of unexploded military remnants in Indonesia, which served as a major, heavily bombed theater of war during World War II when Allied forces fought to reclaim the territory from occupying Japanese forces. This tragedy also follows a devastating military munitions accident in West Java last year, where an intentional disposal detonation went wrong in a weapons pit, claiming the lives of 13 people, including nine civilians. Police have urged local communities to remain calm while the forensic investigation and recovery efforts continue.
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