Experts warn North Korean mountain where nuclear test was conducted is at risk of collapsing

(Baonghean.vn) - Experts say the mountain where the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted its five most recent nuclear tests, including the most powerful nuclear test on September 3, is at risk of collapsing, leaking radiation into the surrounding area, including China.

A team of researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, Anhui Province, said that North Korea's recent sixth nuclear test was conducted at the Punggye-ri test site, just like the previous four.

Pyongyang residents watch news of North Korea's successful H-bomb test. Photo: AP

This assessment was made based on measurements and analysis of shock waves emitted from the explosion, along with vibration measurement data from more than 100 observation centers in China and other countries. The error level is said to be less than 100 meters.

Mr. Wang Naiyan, a senior researcher on China's nuclear program and former President of the China Nuclear Society Institute, said that if the above analysis results are reliable, there will be a risk of a huge environmental disaster.

According to him, another test could create a cavity inside the mountain, causing it to collapse and radiation to escape, spreading throughout the region, including China. The Chinese expert analyzed that the mountain's ability to stand depends on where North Korea places the bomb. If the bomb is placed in a vertically dug tunnel, the damage may not be as severe. However, this method is difficult and expensive to implement, and it is difficult to collect data.

Satellite images show North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site. Photo: AP

If the bomb is placed in a horizontal tunnel, penetrating the middle of the mountain, the risk of collapse will be higher. Besides, the size of the bomb is also proportional to this risk.

According to data from a research team at the University of Science and Technology of China, North Korea's nuclear test on September 3 had a destructive power equivalent to 108.3 kilotons, nearly eight times more powerful than the atomic bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima (Japan) in 1945.

Meanwhile, a group of scientists in Norway estimated that the energy released from the nuclear test on September 3 was 10 times more powerful than the destructive power of the atomic bomb that the US dropped on the city of Hiroshima./.

Lan Ha

(According to SCMP)