An explosion at the largest US air base in the Asia-Pacific region has left at least four Japanese servicemen injured.
The blast happened at the US Kadena Air Base located in Yomitan village, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, on Monday at around 11:20 a.m. local time as servicemen were preparing to carry out bomb disposal operations.
Local media citing military sources reported at least four members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) were injured in the explosion at a munitions storage depot.
The four injured SDF members were taken to hospital following the incident, suffering injuries including burns to their fingers. None of the injured are in critical condition.
The SDF’s unexploded ordnance disposal team runs the facility inside the US air base, using it to temporarily store unexploded munitions meant to be disposed.
Both Japanese and American military officials have yet to issue statements after a full assessment of the extent of the damage.
US Kadena Air Base is the largest and most strategically significant US Air Force installation in the Asia-Pacific region.
The base spans more than 2,000 hectares and houses tens of thousands of US military personnel.
It serves as the headquarters of the US Air Force’s 18th Wing, the largest combat wing in the service.
The base, which is located on the Japanese tropical island to the east of Chinese Taipei, is often referred to as the “Keystone of the Pacific.”
