Radiation spike after rocket engine explosion in Russia

A radiation spike was registered after a rocket engine explosion on a naval test range in northern Russia on Thursday.

In the explosion two people were killed and six injured, the defence ministry told Russian media.

Radiation levels peaked between 11:50 and 12:30 before falling and normalising by 14:00, the city administration in Severodvinsk said on its website, without reporting how significant the spike had been.

It is unclear what could have caused radiation levels to rise.

Local people were reportedly urged to take precautions against radiation. No increase in ambulance callouts was recorded, the administration added.

The victims of the explosion in Arkhangelsk region were civilian specialists while military and civilian personnel are among the injured.

The ministry said radiation levels were normal, but the city of Severodvinsk registered a “brief spike” in levels. An area of the White Sea nearby has reportedly been closed for a month though officials are saying this was planned before the explosion.

 

Via BBC