WW II bomb caught fire

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: The local port could have been the site of a massive explosion when a World War II bomb caught fire before it was dumped into the sea.

Fortunately, the bomb was ditched into the water before it could explode, reported a coast guard officer.

"It could've been a major disaster," said Yustin Syaranamual, head of the port's coast guard unit.

The bomb was one of seven that arrived at the port and was being handled by the coast guard unit while being shipped to sea.

They were recently found in various places in Irian Jaya and were all still active, according to the Antara news agency. (emb)