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WWII bomb at Jiak Kim Street construction site disposed of, area reopened: Police

SINGAPORE — A World War II bomb, found at a construction site along Jiak Kim Street, was successfully disposed of, the police said in a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 18).

The area around the site in Jiak Kim Street, where nightclub Zouk used to be, was cordoned off during an operation to dispose of a World War II relic.

The area around the site in Jiak Kim Street, where nightclub Zouk used to be, was cordoned off during an operation to dispose of a World War II relic.

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SINGAPORE — A World War II bomb, found at a construction site along Jiak Kim Street, was successfully disposed of, the police said in a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 18).

Nearby hotel and condominiums were vacated for the exercise, and the area was closed to the public and traffic until the authorities checked the safety of the construction site, buildings and pipelines nearby. Part of the Singapore River was also closed.

In the post at about 7pm, the police said: “The Building and Construction Authority, PUB, the Land Transport Authority and SP Group have completed their assessment of the construction site, roads, nearby drains and pipelines, as well as the vacated condominiums and hotel. They have assessed that the affected buildings and roads are structurally safe.”

The police said that the bomb was discarded at about 4.35pm. The Straits Times reported that an explosion from a “detonation operation” was heard earlier in the day, at about 11am. When TODAY was at the scene, another explosion could be heard around 2.50pm.

The police added that River Valley Green, Kim Seng Road (between Kim Seng Promenade and Havelock Road), a Zion Road slip road towards Kim Seng Road and the Singapore River have been reopened to vehicles and ferries.

Condominium residents as well as guests at the vacated Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel have been informed that it is safe to return.

The police said last Saturday that they learnt of the war relic on Nov 12, after it was discovered during excavation works at the site, where nightclub Zouk used to be.

In a Facebook post on Monday night, the Singapore Army said the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from 36 Singapore Combat Engineers was activated for the disposal.

"The unexploded ordnance was assessed to be unsafe to be moved to another location, and had to be disposed on-site," the army said. 

Involving around 40 SAF personnel, the disposal was done in a controlled manner to mitigate any potential effects of the blast and disruption to the surroundings, it added.

"It involved digging a containment trench and the setting of protective works, which included an overhead cover with compacted sandbags stacked together. A shaped charge was then employed to break open the bomb body in order to burn the main explosives within."

At the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, customer service specialist Eunice Lee, in her 40s, told TODAY that she was unsure if she had to report for work. She works at Kings Centre, which is close to the site.

She said: “I found out about it (disposal of the war relic) yesterday from my colleagues. They told me about the road blockage, then my sister started circulating the news. We initially thought our office would be affected, since we found out guests at the hotel beside us had to evacuate, but they told us that (the office) was not affected by the bomb.”

She did not hear any explosions or feel any tremors.

Residents who spoke to TODAY said that it was an inconvenience.

Housewife Anita Mathews, 40, a resident at Tribeca by the Waterfront condominium, was notified about the evacuation last Saturday.

She said: “It was definitely an inconvenience. I had to go to different malls to keep my kids and I occupied. No school buses (could get into the condo) so I had to pick my kids up.”

Another resident Joanne Richardson, 48, said that she had just flown in and arrived at the airport around 2pm.

“I just came from the UK. I flew in today and had to sit around the airport for a couple of hours (until the all-clear was given).”

Mr Zhou Zi Wei, 27, an investment analyst, said that because his working hours coincided with the period that the area was closed down, it has not bothered him at all.

He said: “We were given a notice beforehand, but I work from 8am to 6pm so it was just nice for me. I just find the whole thing very crazy actually, that there’s a war relic where old Zouk used to be.”

A spokesperson for Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel said that a total of 155 guest rooms were cleared of occupants.

He said: “A lounge area with refreshments was set up in the hotel for affected guests to rest, and notices were placed in public areas of the hotel to keep guests updated on the situation.

King’s Centre and Waterfront Plaza, both located next to the hotel, helped the police with traffic management and logistics, to redirect members of the public when necessary, he added.

Related topics

World War II bomb relic Jiak Kim Street Zouk hotel condominium

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