The force said they had received a report from a member of the public that a suspected bomb was found when he was diving in the waters to the east of Cape D’Aguilar on August 9.

Further investigation confirmed that the suspected bomb was located on the seabed 15 meters underwater and 1.4 kilometers to the northeast of Cape D’Aguilar.

Officers of the police bomb squad conducted an on-site inspection and confirmed that the bomb was a spherical British naval mine from World War II, measuring one meter in height, 1.5 meters in length and about one ton in weight. They also believed that the bomb had sat on the seabed for over 70 years.

While no immediate danger was detected, the 500 pounds of high explosives inside the naval mine were believed to be still active, according to the force, adding that officers of the bomb squad had decided to dispose of the naval mine to neutralize the relevant threats.

In view of the underwater disposal, the Marine Department has restricted the waters within a one-kilometer radius of the naval mine from noon today (Sept 8) until the end of the operation tomorrow. No vessels will be allowed to enter the restricted area during the restriction period.

Police have also cordoned off the hiking trails in the adjacent areas from noon today to keep the public away for safety reasons. The airspace around Cape D’Aguilar will be listed as a temporary restricted flying zone from 9am to 3pm tomorrow.