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WWII-era explosive found at Port of Long Beach during construction

An aerial view of containers and ships at a harbor.
Construction workers dug up a World War II-era shell at the Port of Long Beach, authorities said.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A construction team made a shocking discovery at the Port of Long Beach on Wednesday afternoon when they inadvertently unearthed a World War II-era explosive device, authorities said.

The eight-decade-old shell was found at one of the port’s six container terminals, according to a port spokesperson.

The Long Beach police and fire departments and the U.S. Coast Guard evacuated the terminal and established a safety perimeter, while the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad responded and assessed the situation. The remaining terminals continued to operate as normal during that time.

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A U.S. Marine Corps ordnance disposal team determined that the device was safe to transport and moved it off site, where it was deactivated.

The port resumed normal operations Wednesday night.

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