TOKYO: An explosion at a storage site for unexploded ordnance at a US military base on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa injured four Japanese soldiers, though the injuries are not life-threatening, officials said Monday.
The four soldiers sustained finger injuries while working at a facility that belongs to Okinawa prefecture and temporarily stores unexploded ordnance, mostly from wartime and found on the island, local officials said. One of the harshest battles of World War II was fought on Okinawa.
Prefectural officials said the injuries were not life-threatening, but no other details were immediately known.
The US Air Force said in a statement that the explosion occurred at the facility managed by the Okinawa prefectural government at Kadena Air Base’s munitions storage area. It said no US servicemembers were involved in the incident.
The Self Defense Force’s joint staff said one of the devices suddenly exploded when the soldiers were inspecting it at the facility. The blast occurred when the soldiers were trying to remove rust, NHK television reported.
The SDF said they are trying to confirm what caused the accident.
Monday’s accident was believed to be the first ever since the 1974 launch of the Japanese army’s unexploded ordnance disposal unit.
Hundreds of tons of unexploded wartime bombs, many of them dropped by the US military, remain buried around Japan and are sometimes dug up at construction sites and elsewhere. Many of them are still found on Okinawa, where about 1,856 tons of unexploded US bombs are believed to remain.
In October, an unexploded wartime US bomb exploded at a commercial airport in southern Japan, causing a large crater and suspending dozens of flights.
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Explosion at a US air base in southern Japan injures 4 Japanese soldiers
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Explosion at a US air base in southern Japan injures 4 Japanese soldiers
- Explosion occurred at Kadena Air Base’s munitions storage area in Okinawa
- The facility stores unexploded ordnance, mostly wartime and found on the island
Ice-cool Rybakina beats Sabalenka in tense Australian Open final
- The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
- Rybakina who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022
MELBOURNE: Elena Rybakina took revenge over world number one Aryna Sabalenka to win a nail-biting Australian Open final on Saturday and clinch her second Grand Slam title.
The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2hrs 18mins.
It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women’s tennis.
The ice-cool Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022.
“Hard to find the words now,” said Rybakina, and then addressed her beaten opponent to add: “I know it is tough, but I hope we play many more finals together.”
Turning to some Kazakh fans in the crowd, she said: “Thank you so much to Kazakhstan. I felt the support from that corner a lot.”
It was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open last year for the second time but lost the French Open and Melbourne title deciders.
She was into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and had been imperious until now, with tears in her eyes at the end.
“Let’s hope maybe next year will be a better year for me,” Sabalenka said ruefully.
Rybakina fights back
With the roof on because of drizzle in Melbourne, Rybakina immediately broke serve and then comfortably held for 2-0.
Rybakina faced two break points at 4-3, but found her range with her serve to send down an ace and dig herself out of trouble, leaving Sabalenka visibly frustrated.
Rybakina looked in the zone and wrapped up the set in 37 minutes on her first set point when Sabalenka fired long.
Incredibly, it was the first set Sabalenka had dropped in 2026.
The second game of the second set was tense, Rybakina saving three break points in a 10-minute arm-wrestle.
They went with serve and the seventh game was another tussle, Sabalenka holding for 4-3 after the best rally of a cagey affair.
The tension ratcheted up and the top seed quickly forged three set points at 5-4 on the Kazakh’s serve, ruthlessly levelling the match at the first chance to force a deciding set.
Sabalenka was now in the ascendancy and smacked a scorching backhand to break for a 2-0 lead, then holding for 3-0.
Rybakina, who also had not dropped a set in reaching the final, looked unusually rattled.
She reset to hold, then wrestled back the break, allowing herself the merest of smiles.
At 3-3 the title threatened to swing either way.
But a surging Rybakina won a fourth game in a row to break for 4-3, then held to put a thrilling victory within sight.
Rybakina sealed the championship with her sixth ace of the match.
The finalists were familiar foes having met 14 times previously, with Sabalenka winning eight of them.
Sabalenka came into the final as favorite but Rybakina has been one of the form players on the women’s tour in recent months.
She also defeated Sabalenka in the decider at the season-ending WTA Finals.
Rybakina beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the last four in Melbourne.
Rybakina switched to play under the Kazakh flag in 2018 when she was a little-known 19-year-old, citing financial reasons.
The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2hrs 18mins.
It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women’s tennis.
The ice-cool Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022.
“Hard to find the words now,” said Rybakina, and then addressed her beaten opponent to add: “I know it is tough, but I hope we play many more finals together.”
Turning to some Kazakh fans in the crowd, she said: “Thank you so much to Kazakhstan. I felt the support from that corner a lot.”
It was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open last year for the second time but lost the French Open and Melbourne title deciders.
She was into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and had been imperious until now, with tears in her eyes at the end.
“Let’s hope maybe next year will be a better year for me,” Sabalenka said ruefully.
Rybakina fights back
With the roof on because of drizzle in Melbourne, Rybakina immediately broke serve and then comfortably held for 2-0.
Rybakina faced two break points at 4-3, but found her range with her serve to send down an ace and dig herself out of trouble, leaving Sabalenka visibly frustrated.
Rybakina looked in the zone and wrapped up the set in 37 minutes on her first set point when Sabalenka fired long.
Incredibly, it was the first set Sabalenka had dropped in 2026.
The second game of the second set was tense, Rybakina saving three break points in a 10-minute arm-wrestle.
They went with serve and the seventh game was another tussle, Sabalenka holding for 4-3 after the best rally of a cagey affair.
The tension ratcheted up and the top seed quickly forged three set points at 5-4 on the Kazakh’s serve, ruthlessly levelling the match at the first chance to force a deciding set.
Sabalenka was now in the ascendancy and smacked a scorching backhand to break for a 2-0 lead, then holding for 3-0.
Rybakina, who also had not dropped a set in reaching the final, looked unusually rattled.
She reset to hold, then wrestled back the break, allowing herself the merest of smiles.
At 3-3 the title threatened to swing either way.
But a surging Rybakina won a fourth game in a row to break for 4-3, then held to put a thrilling victory within sight.
Rybakina sealed the championship with her sixth ace of the match.
The finalists were familiar foes having met 14 times previously, with Sabalenka winning eight of them.
Sabalenka came into the final as favorite but Rybakina has been one of the form players on the women’s tour in recent months.
She also defeated Sabalenka in the decider at the season-ending WTA Finals.
Rybakina beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the last four in Melbourne.
Rybakina switched to play under the Kazakh flag in 2018 when she was a little-known 19-year-old, citing financial reasons.
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