Workers unearth war-time bomb in company compound

By JUNIOR UKAHA
A ‘LIVE’ bomb believed to be from World War II was unearthed at a company compound along Butibam Road in Lae, Morobe, by a group of contractors last week.
The workmen from Lae Builders and Contractors (LBC) said they discovered the rusty bomb when an excavator they were using to clear dirt to lay the concrete foundation of a new water tank exposed.
“It was rusty and we could not figure out the markings on the bomb,” senior carpenter Tafure Nenempa said this week.
Nenempa, who along with his co-workers, had earlier uncovered two other unexploded bombs said they realised the shape of the bomb and informed the company management.
The company then called PNG Defence Force bomb specialists based at Igam Barracks to dispose of the device.
“It could have exploded and killed one of us or destroyed the company properties.
“We were lucky enough to spot it first,” another carpenter Joe Ambing said.
They said the bomb was about 350cm long and had a 50cm radius and was shaped like a cylinder.
Nenempa from Eastern Highlands said the company had told them that it would hire a specialist to come with a detector and scan the place for any wartime bombs before work resumed.
He said they feared more bombs were buried around the city, which could endanger lives.
Nenempa urged city authorities to take measures to rid Lae of old wartime bombs.