World War II Bomb Explodes In Indonesia’s Biak, Killing 5 With 3 Still Missing | VIDEO

Papua: A decades-old World War II bomb exploded in Indonesia's densely populated area of Biak Kota District, located in Biak Numfor, on Sunday, killing at least 5 people and leaving 3 others missing. According to reports, the flames leapt over 20 feet into the air while thick black smoke rolled across the area, reducing several homes to rubble and sending tremors through nearby streets. The scale of destruction could be seen in online footage that showed residents pulling the limp body of a young boy from the debris.

According to the police, the explosion erupted suddenly in the residential zone, triggered by an active wartime ordnance that had remained buried in the area for decades. CCTV cameras installed around Biak Port recorded the moment of detonation, capturing a massive fireball followed by a mushroom-shaped cloud rising above the rooftops. The debris from surrounding buildings was hurled outward as the blast wave swept through the region. 

Old Bomb Causes Deadly Tragedy

The administration confirmed that the cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Biak Numfor Police Chief Ari Trestiawan stated that 5 victims’ bodies had been recovered from the scene so far. The rescue teams are continuing to search for the 3 people still unaccounted for, with operations set to resume on Monday.

The police asserted that the device was an unexploded World War II bomb that went off in the Biak Kota District. As per the police, such remnants are still found across parts of Papua, where Allied and Japanese forces fought during the Pacific campaign. The blast shattered windows, collapsed walls and left a crater in the area where families live close together. The local residents termed the sound as deafening, followed by immediate panic as smoke and dust filled the air.

A search and rescue operation is underway, supported by police units from Biak Numfor and the Papua Regional Police Mobile Brigade, as the area was immediately cordoned off for safety. The military command, civil service police and specialist rescuers were also deployed to assist with evacuation and to check for further unexploded ordnance. “We express our deepest condolences to the victims’ families. Our primary focus now is the evacuation process, the search for any missing victims, and ensuring the location is completely safe,” the military said in a statement.

The incident has left Biak Kota residents grappling with both loss and fear, with homes destroyed and families displaced. As investigators probe to ascertain the cause of the detonation of the bomb after so many years, the locals pray for the safety of the three missing people.