NEED TO KNOW
- A World War II-era bomb exploded on Sunday, May 31, killing at least five people
- The explosion also left five more people injured, and it destroyed several homes in the area
- Three people remain missing as the search and investigation into the explosion continue
A decades-old bomb exploded beneath a home, killing at least five people.
The explosive detonated in Biak Numfor Regency in Indonesia’s Papua Province on Sunday, May 31, leaving at least five people dead and five others hospitalized with injuries, The Jakarta Globe and Antara reported, citing local authorities. Three more people are missing, according to the Indonesian news outlets.
The Jakarta Globe reported that the explosion occurred below a stilt house located near the shoreline on Biak town’s Walter Mongonsidi Street. Authorities believe the bomb was left in the area during World War II.
“The explosion is suspected to have originated from a World War II-era bomb,” Papua Police Chief Commissioner Cahyo Sukarnito told The Jakarta Globe. Biak Numfor Police Chief Ari Trestiawan echoed this in a statement to Antara.
The Biak Numfor Regency Police and Indonesian National Police (INP) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on May 31.
CCTV cameras captured the blast on video. Footage shared by Antara and Indonesian newspaper Kompas shows a burst of flame and subsequent plume of smoke shooting up above the skyline in Biak Numfor Regency.
The outlets also shared footage of the aftermath of the large explosion, revealing that several buildings were destroyed by the impact. Video shows roofs ripped off and residences surrounded by debris left by the blast.
The Jakarta Globe reported that six houses near the explosion site were leveled. The full scope of damage has not yet been determined, per the outlet.
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On the evening of May 31, authorities and first responders evacuated those affected by the blast and secured the area in an effort to prevent additional casualties. The three people reported missing have yet to be found.
“Currently, officers are still on guard around the crime scene,” Trestiawan told Antara. The search for the missing individuals will resume on Monday, June 1, the outlet reported.
The police chief also clarified that the number of casualties and injuries caused by the blast is subject to change amid the ongoing investigation into the explosion.
“There are casualties, but we are still gathering data,” the police chief said in a statement to Kompas, translated from Indonesian. “We are currently on the ground collecting data on casualties and damage from the explosion. We will report this when we have more data.”