Nuclear town Zheleznogorsk on fire, Russia
Featured image: Russian Zheleznogorsk nuclear town on fire - April 2017. Credit: Accidents Zheleznogorsk
Massive wildfires are raging close to Zheleznogorsk, a closed town in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Krai with facilities for producing weapons-grade plutonium. The town, also known as Atom town and Iron city, is located 62 km (38 miles) northeast of regional capital Krasnoyarsk.
It is understood that there is no immediate threat to the nuclear plants which are built within caverns inside granite mountain on the northern edge of the city, but citizens are reporting that streets are covered with a thick haze which is causing serious breathing problems. The fire is said to be close to living areas and a strong smell is felt inside flats and houses, The Siberian Times reported.
Zheleznogorsk wildfire – April 2017. Credit: Accidents Zheleznogorsk via Siberian Times
Zheleznogorsk wildfire – April 2017. Credit: Accidents Zheleznogorsk via Siberian Times
A local newspaper reported that the fires so far scorched an area of 400 hectares (900 acres).
A journalist from TVK6, a Krasnoyarsk-based TV company, was told by the local Ministry of Emergencies that all details about the fires are in Moscow, as 'Zheleznogorsk is closed city and it doesn't report to us.'
According to Daily Mail, the officials have reported that the situation in the area was now 'normal' but smoke from the stricken nuclear town is still spreading through Krasnoyarsk, a city with a population of 1.03 million.
Image acquired April 25, 2017. Credit: NASA Terra/MODIS
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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