Search Concludes for WWII Era Bombs At Nauru Airport
Contractors have finished their search for unexploded World War II era bombs at Nauru Airport (INU). The search is part of a runway upgrade program now underway.
The two-week search identified 96 so-called anomalies buried on airport grounds. Three were identified as unexploded ordnance and rendered safe onsite.
The bombs are World War II remnants and have lain beneath the airport runway for 80 years. Secretary for Emergency Services Barassi Botelanga says that vibrations from aircraft and other equipment could cause them to explode.
The end of the search follows the Nauruan Government issuing an evacuation order to local residents as recently as last week. On May 21, unexploded ordnance was found at the western end of the Nauru Airport runway, causing the latest evacuation order. Experts safely defused the bomb.
One week before that, on May 16, another World War II bomb weighing 227 kilograms was found 1.9 metres under the central portion of the Nauru Airport runway. Various aircraft regularly use Nauru's only airport, including Nauru Airlines' passenger and cargo jets.
Removing the WWII relics brings Nauru significantly closer to a safer and more compliant aviation environment and civil aviation safety standards. Resurfacing of the airport's 2,150-metre runway can now get underway, along with upgrades to air traffic control equipment.
Upon completion, the airport's operational capacity will increase, and the runway's service life will be extended by 25 to 30 years. The runway was last resurfaced in 1992, and if not redone, it risks falling into a state of disrepair. INU is the island's only airport.
The operation to find and remove the unexploded ordnance was made possible with the support, diligence and hard work of the governments of Nauru and Australia, agencies and key partners from Australia and Nauru.
The Australian Government is providing AUD40 million towards improving Nauru's airport through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).
"The project will ensure Nauruans can remain connected to supplies, services and family overseas for years to come, with the climate-resilient upgrades increasing the airport's service life, capacity and safety," says an Australian Government statement.
Downer Group has the contract to undertake the airport works.
Photos: Government of Nauru