Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in Hong Kong so experts could defuse a large US-made bomb left over from World War II that was discovered at a construction site.

Police said the bomb was 1.5m in length and weighed about 450kg. It was discovered by construction workers in Quarry Bay, a bustling residential and business district on the west side of Hong Kong island.

"We have confirmed this object to be a bomb dating back to World War II," said Andy Chan Tin-Chu, a police official.

He said because of "the exceptionally high risks associated with its disposal," approximately 1900 households involving 6000 individuals were "urged to evacuate swiftly."

The operation to deactivate the bomb began late Friday and lasted until Saturday morning. No one was injured in the

See Full Page