Rumours Of Nuclear Leak In Pakistan False, Says IAEA (image-X/him23nshu)
Pakistan: Amid rumours of a nuclear leak in Pakistan, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) dismissed them and clarified that there was no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in the country.
“We are aware of the reports. Based on information available to the IAEA, there was no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan,” the IAEA stated in an email response to The Times of India.
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Speculations arose soon after India and Pakistan’s military confrontation following Operation Sindoor. Some reports hinted at an Indian strike on Pakistan’s Kirana Hills, a highly fortified area believed to have underground nuclear stockpiles, after a US nuclear emergency aircraft was spotted flying near the area. On top of that, reports of an Egyptian military plane in Pakistani airspace fuelled rumours of a nuclear incident.
However, no evidence has surfaced to prove the claims yet.
Air Marshal AK Bharti, director general of air operations for the Indian Air Force (IAF), also denied the allegations and stated, “We have not hit Kirana Hills and whatever is there.”
But the rumours refuse to die down.
What is at Kirana Hills?
Located approximately 75 kilometres from Pakistan’s Khushab nuclear plant, Kirana Hills is believed to house over ten underground nuclear tunnels. Its closeness to heavy water reactors used for producing weapons-grade plutonium places Kirana Hills at the core of the nuclear strategy of Pakistan.
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In The Case of a Nuclear Leak
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the microscopic particles from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing are dispersed widely in the environment, and thus, virtually everyone comes into contact with extremely small amounts of plutonium.
Nuclear warheads use plutonium-239, which is highly dangerous and can remain so for over 24,000 years. Even one gram released into the air could impact millions of people, according to the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.
Other radioactive elements, including iodine-131, which can trigger thyroid cancer; caesium-137 affects muscle tissue; strontium-90, which affects bones and teeth; and uranium-235 damages the lungs, liver, or bones, are highly worrying.
The risks of a nuclear leak are extremely high. Naturally, rumours of the same, especially in a conflict zone, spread like wildfire across social media platforms.
