Radiation scare after mysterious explosion in russia

The Russian city of Severodvinsk is in a panic after an explosion at a military testing site Thursday killed two and was followed by reports of high radiation levels in the region.

Russia’s defense ministry reported the explosion’s source as being the propellant from a rocket engine test. The ministry further claimed that there were no harmful emissions.

However, images began to circulate on social media of emergency personnel wearing hazmat suits and equipped with Geiger counters, alongside claims that victims from the explosion, including defence ministry officials, were being treated for radiation exposure.

Severodvinsk is a city of 185 thousand, located in the Arkhangelsk region of Russia, on the White Sea. The explosion took place 29 miles west, around the village of Nyonoksa.

The military has closed off a portion of the White Sea, Dvina Bay, to all civilian shipping for a period of one month following the explosion.

While the radiation spike in Severodvinsk lasted only a few hours according to the city government, residents have been rushing to purchase iodine supplements, which protect against radioactive iodine being absorbed by the body.