Moscow: Khabarovsk, the sprawling metropolis nestled in Russia’s far east, finds itself gripped by a state of emergency following the detection of a concerning nuclear radiation leak.
Reports indicate that authorities uncovered elevated radiation levels near a power pylon situated roughly 2.5 kilometers from residential zones. Despite the proximity, there have been no reports of injuries or radiation exposure. Officials, reassured by the local branch of Russia’s consumer safety watchdog, TASS, assert that there’s presently no immediate threat to public health.
The radioactive material, meticulously contained within a protective enclosure, has been swiftly transported to a designated waste storage facility within Khabarovsk. However, the root cause behind this alarming radiation surge remains a mystery to Russian authorities.
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The state of emergency, enacted to address the situation, will persist for an additional three days as law enforcement agencies delve into the leak’s origin.
Recent footage captured a figure donning a nuclear protective mask, brandishing a radiation reader that displayed escalating levels as they approached a ‘waste dump’. The device registered an alarming 0.45 microsieverts, peaking at 5.99, underscoring potential hazards. Despite this evidence, it took nearly a week before any action was taken or public disclosure was made regarding the incident.
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The saga began with an initial report from an anonymous individual on March 28th, prompting a belated alert to Russian special services. Andrey Kolchin, the city’s civil defense chief, confirmed the radiation source’s discovery, prompting immediate area cordoning and emergency protocols.