Hong Kong Bomb Disposal Chief โคReveals โHigh-Stakes Reality of โDefusing WWII-Era โขExplosives
HONG KONG – โFacing a constant, unquantifiableโข risk of detonation, Hong Kong’s bomb โขdisposal officers meticulouslyโฃ dismantle and incinerate explosives ranging from wartime relics to illicit fireworks. Senior โขSuperintendent Raymond Suryanto Chin-chiu,headโ of the police’s explosive ordnance disposal bureau,has overseenโ the clearance of over 1,000โข suchโ devices inโ his 18-yearโ career,yet acknowledges theโ inherent uncertainty of each operation.
“Iโ can โขonly sit tight and pray forโข two things: thatโ the explosion will happen later rather than now, and that it does not explode at all,” Suryanto โฃsaid, revealing the psychological weight carried by those tasked with neutralizing perhaps catastrophic threats.โค
Theโ precarious nature of the work was underscored during โa recent 23-hour operation in Quarry Bay last month, โinvolving a โ1,000lb โฃ(454kg) US โmilitary bomb dropped during World War II.Suryanto recounted watching โฃa nine-foot (2.74-meter) column of white flames erupt from a 30cm โ(12-inch) โขopening in theโ bomb as his team used controlled incineration to destroy the TNT explosives within. Drums of water bubbled around the burning pile, a testament to the โคvolatile process.
The โคdisposal process isn’t solely aboutโข the โmoment of detonation.Suryanto explained that โขeven with meticulous planning and establishedโค methods,โข the risk remains unpredictable. Theโค first 13 hours of the Quarry Bay operation were dedicated to evacuating residents and workers, โคand assessing theโฃ potential need to suspend nearby MTR services โขas a safety precaution.
The 48-year-oldโฃ officer emphasized that successful โฃbomb disposal demands “a mixโ of perseverance, precision, coolheadedness and an โคindomitable passion for the craft.” Despite the ever-present danger, he and his โฃteam โคcontinue to safeguard Hong Kong from the hidden dangersโ buried beneath its urban landscape.