A construction crew made a shocking discovery at the Long Beach Harbor Wednesday afternoon when they inadvertently unearthed a World War II-era explosive device, authorities said.
The eight-decade-old shell was found in 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 security perimeter, while the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department bomb squad responded and assessed the situation. The remaining terminals continued to operate normally during that time.
A U.S. Marine Corps munitions 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.
