Radiation levels rose briefly after explosion at military site in northern Russia

On Thursday afternoon, officials in the northern Russia city of Severodvinsk detected a brief rise in radiation levels following an explosion at a military training ground, Russian state news agency TASS reports.

Kseniya Yudina, a spokeswoman for Severodvinsk, said the "brief rise of the radiation level was registered...at about noon." The Ministry of Defense said at least two people were killed and four seriously hurt when a liquid rocket engine exploded; regional authorities told state news agency RIA-Novosti that two people died and 15 were injured.

The incident took place in the Arkhangelsk region, 18 miles away from Severodvinsk, and the regional governor said there was no reason to evacuate anyone from the area, CNN reports. There is a naval base and shipyard in Severodvinsk, and TASS says the incident began on a ship.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up