Unexploded WWII shell found in Japan

SENDAI, Japan, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- An unexploded shell believed to be from World War II forced the cancellation of dozens of flights at a northeastern Japanese airport Tuesday, officials said.

Airport authorities in Sendai said the shell was discovered by construction workers under an unpaved area adjacent to the airport taxiway, CNN reported.

Members of the Japanese Self Defense Force were called in to remove the ordnance, believed to be a U.S.-made bomb that was dropped during World War II.

The bomb, approximately 43 inches long, still had a fuse, which means it could explode, officials said.

The Japanese city of Sendai is still recovering from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands of people in northeastern Japan.