Four shells believed to have been left behind by invading Japanese troops during the Second World War, were unearthed in China's Heilongjiang Province, police said on Friday.
The shells, each of which weighs 2.5 kg and is 30 cm long, were found in Qiqihar city by a group of workers at a construction site near a railway station, Xinhua news agency reported.
A worker spotted a rusty shell while digging about two metres deep into the ground.
Later, the other three shells were also found nearby.
People near the site were evacuated after the discovery, the police said.
The shells were well preserved and had a risk of explosion.
Two Japanese chemical weapon units were once stationed in Qiqihar.
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After the Japanese retreated, large amounts of bombs, shells and mines were left behind.
--IANS
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