MANILA, Philippines — A vintage bomb was dug up at a construction site in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) campus in Manila on Tuesday.
The Manila Police District said a security guard reported to the MPD’s University Belt Area precinct that a backhoe operator found a long, rusty object that looked like an explosive.
Construction and security workers sealed off the area, according to MPD District Explosives and Canine Unit (DECU) officer-in-charge Lt. Leo Limbaga.
The precinct then called for assistance from the DECU, which identified the object as an anti-tank rifle grenade probably used during World War II, the MPD said.
Though it looked rusty, it is still considered a “live” bomb because its components remain intact, Limbaga said.
Police “safely secured” the vintage bomb by putting it in a bucket of water prior to taking it out of the construction site for disposal, the MPD said.
During World War II, Japanese forces converted UST into an internment camp for American prisoners of war.