Miyazaki Airport Runway Closed after Possible Blast

Miyazaki, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)--The runway at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan was closed Wednesday after a hole was found near a taxiway, police and other sources said.

Around 8:10 a.m., the control center of the airport in Miyazaki, the capital of the namesake prefecture, made an emergency call to police to report that smoke was rising on the eastern side of the international airport.

The hole, about 7 meters in length and width, and 1 meter in depth, was found in asphalt near the taxiway, according to the Miyazaki prefectural police and other sources. No injuries have been confirmed.

The police asked the Self-Defense Forces for help in investigating the cause of the incident, suspecting that an unexploded shell might have exploded.

The runway closure forced Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways to cancel 36 flights to and from the airport Wednesday, affecting a total of 2,590 passengers.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]