By OLI SMITH
CHILLING footage from Russia has intensified fears of a nuclear radiation accident after ambulances were spotted lined with protective chemical sheets and hospitals workers were seen wearing hazmat suits.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained silent, amid growing speculation that a nuclear missile accident has caused a dangerous radiation leak at a naval base. The Kremlin have confirmed that a “rocket engine explosion” at the Archangelsk base in northern Russia killed five people and injured three. Last night, Russia’s nuclear energy agency Rostam admitted that they had been involved in the aftermath of the incident, raising concern of a radiation leak.
Rostam added that the explosion took place during the testing of an “isotope power source”.
The official said five of its employees had died as a result of the accident and three more were being treated for burns.
However, the extent of the incident and threat of radiation has not been disclosed, amid growing global concern.
The Archangelsk naval base has been placed under emergency lockdown for a month, with the nearby White Sea also closed to commercial shipping.
One of the ambulance was coated in a chemical protection film (Image: BAZA)
A sudden radiation spike detected in the region following the explosion prompted the initial speculation that the incident was related to a nuclear missile test.
The radiation level was recorded as 20 times higher than the normal level in the nearby city of Severodvinsk.
This has been reinforced by chilling footage filmed in the aftermath of the incident.
One video showed hospital workers wearing hazmat suits while they loaded the injured into an ambulance.
Another terrifying video revealed a security escort of ambulances transporting the injured to Moscow.
In this footage, one of the ambulance is clearly coated in a chemical protection film.
A defence ministry source said that the worker's clothes had been burned as soon as they were hospitalised with suspected radiation.
A RUSSIAN naval base is on a mysterious month-long lockdown after an accidental missile explosion at the base was linked to a sudden radiation spike in the region.
The world is on alert after a rocket engine explosion on a naval test range in northern Russia was linked to a shock radiation spike. The Kremlin have confirmed the “rocket engine explosion” killed two people and injured six. There are mounting concerns that the explosion took place during the testing of a new nuclear missile.
Local people were reportedly urged to take precautions against radiation.
Adding to the fears, the Archangelsk base where the explosion took place has since been placed on emergency lockdown, with the nearby White Sea also closed.
A Russian expert told the BBC that the Russian Ministry of Defence has refused to disclose the details behind the mysterious lockdown of the base.
Dr Mark Galeotti said the incident was “clearly a bigger issue than the Russians are letting on”.
While the Ministry of Defence has rejected claims of a radiation leak, city officials in nearby Severodvinsk reported a radiation spike between 11:50 and 12:30 before falling and normalising by 14:00.
Dr Galeotti said: “This depot seems to have been used for the testing of one of Russia’s new liquid-propelled nuclear missiles - it is a highly secretive.
“The official response from the Defence Ministry has been ‘nothing to see here, no spike in radiation, no leak in radiation’.
“All we seem to know is the number of dead and injured, and that it was a rocket test. The rest is gossip."
The Russian expert added: “They have closed off a large swath of the adjoining White Sea to shipping for a month.
“Despite what the Kremlin have said, there must have been some sort of radiation leak - and they want people to not just stay out of harm’s way, but also don’t want people coming to the site with Geiger Counters.
“The Defence Ministry is trying to play this down. It is clearly a bigger issue than they are letting on."
He went to claim "we know the Russian authorities have a tendency to lie in a crisis situation", but highlighted in the modern age they are "able to get away with much less".
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