100kg WWII bomb discovered in Upper Bukit Timah, residents to evacuate and roads to close for detonation

SINGAPORE — Residents in parts of Bukit Panjang and Upper Bukit Timah will be required to leave their homes on Tuesday (Sept 26) when a specialist team conducts a controlled detonation of a 100kg World War II aerial bomb.

Students and teachers from the nearby Greenridge Secondary School will continue their lessons with home-based learning when the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team conducts the detonation between 8am and 7pm, said the police in a statement on Sunday.

The bomb was discovered at a construction site in Upper Bukit Timah Road last Wednesday at 11.57am during excavation works, and the police were informed, the statement said.

It added that the war relic will be disposed at the site itself because the SAF EOD team deems it unsafe to be moved.

The site is the location of the upcoming The Myst condominium.

The statement said the police will put up a 200m cordon around the war relic, and roads in the area will be closed from 11am.

"The public will be alerted when roads are reopened and it is safe to resume normal activities in the area."

Residents of The Linear, Hazel Park and Bukit 828 condos, Hazel Park Terrace houses and Housing Board homes in Block 154 Gangsa Road, as well as shophouses in Upper Bukit Timah Road, will have to leave their buildings temporarily during the disposal operation, said the statement.

The Bukit Panjang Flyover between Woodlands Road and Petir Road, and Upper Bukit Timah Road between Petir Road and Cashew Road will be closed to traffic from 11am to 7pm on Tuesday while the bomb disposal takes place, it added.

Access to closed roads will be granted only to the police, SAF, emergency and other authorised vehicles. Traffic police officers will be stationed along affected roads to assist and redirect motorists.

Parking restrictions will be strictly enforced, the police said, and vehicles found parking or causing obstruction may be towed.

Drone activities will not be allowed in the area during the operation.

"Loud sounds can be expected during the controlled disposal of the war relic," said the police. "The public is advised not to be alarmed and to avoid the area."

In April 2021, a projectile believed to be a war relic was discovered by a construction worker outside a temple construction site in Geylang. More than 100 people from neighbouring shophouses were quickly evacuated after the discovery.

A projectile was also discovered at a corner terraced unit in Bishan in December 2020.

The unit where the projectile was found was under construction for almost two years, and the previous occupant was an elderly woman living on her own.

In a Facebook post on Sunday night, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan thanked residents for attending briefings on the detonation exercise that day.

In his post, Dr Balakrishnan, who is an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, said a temporary holding area for affected residents will be put up at Senja-Cashew Community Club in Bukit Panjang.

He also urged residents not to be alarmed and to fully comply with instructions by the police.

Dr Balakrishnan added that the police will keep people informed of the progress of the operation and when residents can return home.

He said: "I would like to express our deepest appreciation to the SAF, police, HDB, Building and Construction Authority and Land Transport Authority for all their detailed preparations and hard work.

"And especially the men of the SAF EOD unit, who are literally on the front line of this operation."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.