Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in Hong Kong overnight so experts could defuse a large US-made bomb left over from World War II that was discovered at a construction site.

Police said the bomb was nearly 5 feet in length and weighed about 1,000 pounds.

It was discovered by construction workers in Quarry Bay, a bustling residential and business district on the west side of Hong Kong island. 3

“We have confirmed this object to be a bomb dating back to World War II,” said Andy Chan Tin-Chu, a police official, speaking to reporters ahead of the operation. He said that because of “the exceptionally high risks associated with its disposal,” approximately 1,900 households involving 6,000 individuals were “urged to evacuate swiftly.”

The operation to deactivate the bom

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