Mortar bomb safely detonated near Menora Tunnel, traffic diverted on North-South Expressway

IPOH – Police took nearly an hour to detonate a mortar bomb safely discovered near the Menora Tunnel along the North-South Expressway today.

Perak Police Chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said the unexploded ordnance was found by a 51-year-old contract worker who was carrying out cleaning work in the area around 9.30am.

“The worker was clearing trees and grass when he came across the bomb,” he said when contacted.

A team from the Perak Police, including the Bomb Disposal Unit (UPB), was immediately deployed to inspect the site.

The disposal operation was carried out on location, with the blast radius reportedly reaching up to 200 metres.

Following the discovery, Plus Malaysia Berhad (Plus) issued an alert on its X platform, announcing the temporary closure of the Kuala Kangsar–Ipoh stretch in both directions at 3.02pm for safety precautions.

“Northbound traffic was diverted to the Ipoh Selatan Toll Plaza, while vehicles heading south were rerouted to the Kuala Kangsar Toll Plaza,” Plus said.

All southbound lanes were reopened to highway users by 3.44pm, and traffic flow returned to normal.