The government will set up a fund of some ¥1 billion to hunt for and remove an estimated 2,500 tons of unexploded wartime shells in Okinawa — an operation that may take nearly a century to complete, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Tuesday.

The move comes after an accident in January that may have involved a leftover shell.

The money will be used for "condolence payments" and prevention of explosions by conducting thorough magnetic surveys, Kawamura told reporters.