Construction workers uncovered a World War II-era explosive device at the Port of Long Beach on Wednesday morning, a discovery that temporarily stopped cargo movement at one of six terminals, officials said.
According to the Long Beach Post, crews found the unexploded shell in the ground at Pier G, located near the southern edge of the Port.
A U.S. Marine Corps unit responded alongside the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad, the U.S. Coast Guard and Long Beach police to investigate and help at the scene, with the Long Beach Fire Department on standby.
During the investigation, the Post reported, authorities evacuated the terminal. The Long Beach Port Authority said it paused cargo operations at the terminal, but continued operations at the other five terminals.
The bomb squad eventually deemed the device safe to transport, according to the Post, and the Marine Corps team moved the explosive off-site – allowing operations to return to normal by Wednesday night.
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Operations around Pier G at the Port of Long Beach also saw an unusual pause in operations a month ago, when dozens of containers fell off a cargo ship. Officials said that an estimated 75 containers filled with electronics, clothing, furniture and shoes fell into the water.
Crews had cleaned up at least 60 containers in the five days that followed, but the cause of the spill was still to be determined.
Mitzi Vazquez contributed to this report.
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