Russia Confirms Explosion At Ex Bioweapons Lab Storing Ebola, Smallpox And Plague
Share
[aggregation-styles]
Forbes
Forbes
Explosions in dangerous places have become quite the theme in Russia over the years, as seen again this week with the brief announcement on Monday [September 16] that “a gas cylinder explosion” caused a fire in a reinforced concrete laboratory building near Novosibirsk, in Siberia. The complexity this time is that the Vector facility—the State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology—is a Cold War era Soviet bioweapons lab that now researches (and houses) Ebola, Smallpox and Anthrax.
The fact that Vector is one of only two places in the world that stockpiles Smallpox—the other being the CDC facility in Atlanta—tells you everything you need to know. Local firefighter and rescue teams responded to the explosion before someone realised the implications and, as reported by Russian media, “the situation was quickly upgraded from an ordinary emergency to a major incident.”
The fact that Vector is one of only two places in the world that stockpiles Smallpox—the other being the CDC facility in Atlanta—tells you everything you need to know. Local firefighter and rescue teams responded to the explosion before someone realised the implications and, as reported by Russian media, “the situation was quickly upgraded from an ordinary emergency to a major incident.”
By Zak Doffman | 17 Sept 2019
RELATED TOPICS:
Iran Threat Prompts Trump Protection Boost; Saturday Attack Unrelated, Officials Say
News /
2 hours ago
Authorities Nab Suspected Serial Arsonist. They Think She Torched More Than Fresno
Latest /
3 hours ago
Who Is Carrying the Olympic Torch Through Paris? A BTS Star, a Garbage Collector and More
Sports /
4 hours ago
Sen. Bob Menendez Convicted in Trial That Featured Tales of Bribes Paid in Cash, Gold and a Car
Crime /
4 hours ago
Gareth Southgate Says He Will Step Down as England Manager
Sports /
5 hours ago
At Least 70 People Killed in a Militia Attack in Western Congo
World /
5 hours ago
Latest
Videos
Opinion /
50 mins ago
What Polls Tell Us About Biden’s Chances
News /
2 hours ago
Iran Threat Prompts Trump Protection Boost; Saturday Attack Unrelated, Officials Say
Latest /
3 hours ago
Authorities Nab Suspected Serial Arsonist. They Think She Torched More Than Fresno
Sports /
4 hours ago
Who Is Carrying the Olympic Torch Through Paris? A BTS Star, a Garbage Collector and More
Featured /
4 days ago