Nuclear disaster averted for now but Russia-Ukraine war has brought back memories of Chernobyl, Fukushima
India Today
A fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Friday as a result of Russian shelling. There was, however, no release of radiation.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been met with stiff opposition from European countries with the sole exception of Belarus.
But when an attack by Russian forces triggered a fire at Europe's largest nuclear power station, even those around the world who thought that the invasion would not affect them turned around and took notice.
The incident brought back memories of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the 2011 Fukushima disaster. This comes at a time when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has already cautioned the West that a Third World War, if it breaks out, will be "nuclear".
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in fact, placed Russia's "nuclear deterrent forces" on high alert earlier this week.
READ: Explained: How dangerous was Russia’s nuclear plant strike?
Talking about the effects of nuclear radiation on our bodies, Paediatrician Dr Sanjeev Bagai told India Today, "Excessive amount of radiation exposure reduces WBC [White Blood Cell] count, what we call leucopenia. It causes radiation sickness, skin burns, vomiting, nausea and it can be lethal for up to 35 per cent of the population even at low dose exposure."
He added that the radiation can lead to spontaneous haemorrhage and even cause death within 10 days of prolonged exposure.
