Hong Kong police have launched an air-land-sea lockdown in the southeastern part of the city in preparation for an underwater operation to destroy a wartime naval mine filled with more than 220kg (485 pounds) of high explosives.
Acting senior superintendent Suryanto Chin-chiu of the force’s explosive ordnance disposal bureau said on Thursday it was the first time a complete British-made mine had been found in the city in the past three decades.
Divers from the force’s elite squad, known as the Flying Tigers, and bomb-disposal officers were deployed to locate the mine after it was spotted by a diver on the seabed off Cape D’Aguilar on August 8.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
Police will carry out an operation to dispose of the mine in the waters between 11am and 2pm on Friday.
According to the force, the mine was found at a depth of 15 metres (49 feet), 1.5km (0.9 miles) northeast of Cape D’Aguilar.
Suryanto said he believed the device had been laid by the British Royal Navy during the second world war, and remained there for more than 70 years.
“Shells have been grown on its surface, which also has signs of seawater erosion,” he said.
He warned that although the mine had remained on the seabed for decades, its explosive content could still detonate. “If someone or a ship is in contact with the mine accidentally or someone deliberately interferes with it, the risk of explosion cannot be ignored,” he said.
Taking into account factors such as the amount of explosives contained and water depth, Suryanto said initial assessment showed the affected area would extend up to 1km from the naval mine if an explosion was triggered.
But he said the Cape D’Aguilar marine protection zone and the areas where people live and work on the shore would not be affected, adding that no evacuation was needed.
For the sake of safety, he said police had imposed restricted areas on land and sea since midday on Thursday, adding that airspace around Cape D’Aguilar would also be listed as a temporary restricted flying zone for small unmanned aircrafts such as drones between 9am and 3pm on Friday.
Hong Kong researchers dismayed to find World War II relics in neglect
As Cape D’Aguilar is a popular site for hiking, diving and paragliding, the acting senior superintendent appealed to the public to stay away from the restricted zone during the police operation.
Chai Wan divisional commander, Superintendent Chiang Shui-ching, said the cordoned-off areas covered popular locations such as Bokhara Battery, Crab Cave, Whale Bone and Cape D’Aguilar Lighthouse.
She said people with valid reasons, such as those who lived or worked in the affected zone, would be allowed to enter the area after being cleared by police.
Suryanto said the force was capable and confident of disposing of the mine safely, adding that about 500 officers would be deployed in the operation.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Battle of Hong Kong turned medical student into WWII frontline volunteer who survived to tell his wartime stories
- Hong Kong historians capture horrors of World War II in new website, with plenty more for heritage buffs, hikers too
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2022.
