The largest city in the Russian Far East has declared a state of emergency after authorities reported high levels of radiation dangerously close to a residential area.
State-controlled media stated that a potentially cancer-causing leak was detected in Khabarovsk (population: 641,000).
Russian news agency TASS first reported that elevated levels of radiation were detected near a transmission tower located 1.5 miles away from several homes. (RELATED: Biden Team ‘Rigorously' Prepared For Nuclear War With Russia In 2022)
The government official overseeing civil emergency services in Khabarovsk ordered the area cordoned off and is closely monitoring the situation. “It was decided to introduce a state of emergency in Khabarovsk to carry out work faster,” he said.
The source of the leak is not known, at least not publicly. The state of emergency will remain in place for at least 72 hours as law enforcement agencies investigate.
The Sun reports:
Authorities said the source of radiation was “removed and placed in a protective container” and taken to a radioactive waste storage facility.
But it appears to have taken a week for authorities in the city to act on reports of a leak.
A youngster is said to have reported a high radiation reading to the city's authorities on March 28.
But a state of emergency was only declared on April 5 – just over a week later.
Footage released on social media depicts a man in protective gear holding a radiation detector. The authenticity of the video has yet to be verified.
Strategically situated at the meeting point of the Amur and Ussuri rivers, less than 20 miles from the Chinese border, Khabarovsk serves as a crucial transportation hub in Siberia.
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