Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The United Nations’ watchdog on nuclear matters has warned of a potential “severe nuclear accident that might hit Enerhodar, next to war-torn Ukraine’s largest power plant.
The media reported on Monday that hospitals started closing along with other utility stores along power and water supply after a Russian official ordered the evacuation of nearly 1,700 people, including 660 children, citing a ‘growing’ human tragedy, from the vicinity of the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia.
According to Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the evacuation triggered mayhem and five-hour-long car lines at the crossing into Crimea.
Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned the situation is “becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous.”
The evacuation came amid Ukraine’s preparation for a springtime counteroffensive against Russia to break the wintertime stalemate with a drive into seized areas in the south and east.
The IAEA said conflicts near the Zaporizhzhia power plant in the city of Enerhodar pose a serious threat to public safety.
“I have serious concerns about the plant’s very genuine nuclear safety and security hazards,” he said.
“We must take immediate action to eliminate the threat of a serious nuclear accident and its ensuing effects on the populace and the environment.”
One of the ten largest nuclear power plants in the world, the Zaporizhzhia facility produced about half of the nuclear energy produced by Ukraine’s four reactors.
Ukraine issued a warning that any damage to the building might result in a catastrophe akin to Chornobyl.
Last Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin be brought before The Hague tribunal for his “criminal acts.”