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

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.

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

The port resumed normal operations Wednesday night.