Russian Virology Research Center Hit By Blast

[Rogue Valley]

Russian Virology Research Center Hit By Blast

Monday’s blast follows relatively closely on the heels of another explosion at a Russian facility conducting high-tech and risky research.

Smallpox virus.

9/17/19
A gas-cylinder explosion has sparked a fire at a Russian laboratory housing one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of dangerous viruses. Russia's consumer-safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on September 16 that one worker was sent to hospital for third-degree burns suffered in the incident at the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology (Vector) near the Russian city of Novosibirsk. It added that no biohazardous substances were present in the sanitary inspection room at the time of the fire. All glass in the building was said to have been broken in the blast. A fire covering about 30 square meters was extinguished after the explosion. In the 1970-1980s, the research center developed biological and bacteriological weapons, as well as means of protection against them. Under Rospotrebnadzor supervision, the center stores dangerous strains of smallpox, anthrax, Ebola, and other viruses. Vector is one of two institutions on the planet where the smallpox virus survives. The other is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

Russia seemingly has unending problems safely working with nuclear and other hazardous materials. To compound matters, the Russian government routinely lies about the scope of its numerous hazardous accidents.

Related: An explosion rocked a Russian research facility known for housing the smallpox virus