Wartime artillery shell found at Hong Kong tourist hotspot

HONG KONG (AFP) - A bomb disposal squad was called to one of Hong Kong's prime tourist destinations on Thursday when a wartime artillery shell was found by construction workers.

Police said the British shell from World War II, weighing 36kg and 60cm long, was found at Lugard Road on The Peak.

The Peak is home to the city's most expensive property and is also a tourist hotspot because of its stunning views of Victoria Harbour.

Police said the shell was dealt with but did not elaborate.

A member of staff at the nearby Peak Galleria shopping mall said it had been detonated in a controlled explosion.

The then-British colony was the scene of fierce fighting between invading Japanese forces and defenders in December 1941.

Last year hundreds of people were evacuated when a British shell was found at a construction site near residential and commercial buildings.

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