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Acting President Martin Hunt has declared a state of disaster
covering the whole of Nauru, one of the world's smallest nations
with a land area of just 21 sq. km (8 sq. miles) and a diameter
of 5 km (3 miles).
"The item is extremely dangerous so our key concern has been the
safety of the people of Nauru as well as the vital
infrastructure that supplies water and power that is in the
immediate vicinity," commander Lieutenant Jordan Bell said in an
Australian Defence Force statement.
Nauru's population of 11,000 live along a coastal strip just
150-300 m (yards) wide.
On Thursday morning, a 2 km area around the bomb will be
evacuated as the Australian sappers try to disarm the fuse.
Residents were advised to cover windows with blankets before
they evacuate to prepare their homes for possible blast damage.
Hunt on Wednesday ordered schools to shut and prohibited work
from Thursday morning as a precaution to manage any bomb impact.
"It is very unlikely an unintended detonation (explosion) will
happen; however, if the bomb detonates, water, electricity and
housing within the cordon may be damaged," the Nauru government
warned residents.
Nauru is 4,500 km from Australia, with infrequent air links. It
was the scene of fighting between the United States and Japan in
World War Two.
The unexploded bomb was discovered by construction workers
working on utilities groundworks on July 7.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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