SINGAPORE, April 4 — A 250kg World War II bomb unearthed at a construction site in Changi East has been safely disposed of in a tightly controlled operation, with authorities stressing there was no disruption to airport operations.

The device, discovered at about 4.55am on Tuesday during works along Tanah Merah Coast Road, was assessed by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as too unstable to be moved, necessitating an on-site detonation.

The disposal was completed early Thursday, according to Changi Airport Group (CAG), which said checks carried out after the blast found no issues. 

“The infrastructure and systems in the vicinity of the site were checked, and no issues were observed,” it said in response to queries from Singapore-based media organisation CNA.

As a precaution, Runway 2 at Changi Airport was temporarily closed during the operation. But officials said flights were unaffected.

“Since flight paths did not traverse over the disposal site, no airspace restrictions were imposed. There was no impact to flight operations,” said Vincent Hwa, director of air traffic services at the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

The operation involved multiple agencies, including the police, Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and CAG, with safety cordons established around the site.

“We maintain a high level of operational readiness and remain committed to safeguarding Singapore’s security,” said Lieutenant Colonel Tay Jun Jie, commanding officer of the 36th Battalion Singapore Combat Engineers.

“For such incidents, we respond swiftly, plan thoroughly and work closely with partner agencies to mitigate risks effectively and execute operations safely,” he added.

DSTA’s senior principal engineer Ng Chor Boon said specialists used “advanced numerical modelling techniques” to simulate the blast and assess its potential impact.

“These techniques were applied using protective engineering design and explosives effects validation tests. These enabled us to compute the safety zones, which enabled the SAF commanders and planners to better balance operations and mitigate risks to the surroundings,” he said.

The discovery was made within the Changi East development area, where Singapore’s planned Terminal 5 will be located.