Officials in the far eastern city of Khabarovsk, Russia, have announced a state of emergency after discovering a radiation leak in the area. TASS, a Russian news agency reported on Friday that higher levels of radiation were detected close to a power pylon located around 2.5 km (1.5 miles) away from residential areas.
Russian authorities cordoned off Khabarovsk after radiation leak discovered on Friday, no injuries reported
A state of emergency has been enacted in a Russian city due to nuclear contamination, the Mirror reported. No one had been injured or exposed to radiation, and there is “no threat to the health of citizens,” according to the report.
The Russian authorities have not clarified the cause of the concerning radiation in Khabarovsk. However, officials have verified its containment and transfer to a secure radioactive waste storage site, according to Firstpost.
On Friday, a mystery radiation source was “removed and placed in a protective container” and then “transported to a radioactive waste storage facility.” However, a state of emergency will persist for at least three more days in the Industrialny district of the city while law enforcement agencies investigate the source of the leak, The Mirror reported.
Khabarovsk, situated near the border with China, has a population of 630,000.
Reports suggest there was a delay of about one week before authorities responded to the leak, according to sources from Firstpost.
Video reveals escalating radiation levels in Khabarovsk, delayed response raises concerns
Video footage has emerged showing an individual wearing a nuclear protective mask, carrying a radiation reader.
The readings on the device escalated as the person moved through a designated “waste dump” area. His radiation reader sounded an alarm at 0.45 microsieverts, and the highest reading visible on the screen is 5.99.
However, in the video, the man claims there was a reading of 20. As per the Mirror’s report, the reading is potentially enough to increase the risk of cancer, damage DNA, cause fetal damage, and pose a threat to the health of children.
Reports suggest that the potentially lethal radiation source in Khabarovsk was known for about one week before action was taken or the public was alerted.
A “boy” who took an initial reading on March 28 had reported it to the Russian special services. However, it was only today that a state of emergency was declared. Andrey Kolchin, the head of civil defense in the city, confirmed this delay. He stated: “A source of increased radiation levels was discovered….the area was cordoned.”
