NEWS: Mushroom Cloud Seen After N.Korea Explosion 9/9/04

A large mushroom cloud was spotted in North Korea near the Chinese border. South korea is monitoring but have declined comment.



If this report is true, either the NK's have finally tested a nuclear weapon, or they have had another huge disaster like the train station explosion a few months back. A FAE bomb will also produce a muchroom cloud, but 2.5 miles in diameter? Hopefully more develops.


UPDATE TO ORIGINAL STORY:





[edit on 12-9-2004 by SkepticOverlord]





[edit on 12-9-2004 by Nerdling]

[edit on 12-9-2004 by Nerdling]

[edit on 13-9-2004 by Nerdling]

BBC News

Just came up on the BBC.

never a good thing. Just speculation now. Here comes another war our way. And from what ppl knwo now does anyone know if they are capable of attackin the us with this if it is a nuke

either a nuclear test or a falseflag setup. Either way, bad times ahead for NK.

I checked the USGS Seisomgraph page to see if I could pull the graphs for the region, but only the last 24 hours are avalible

aslwww.cr.usgs.gov...

The data from the Data from station MDJ (Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, China shows a burst of activity at 2300 local time today lasting >50 minutes
aslwww.cr.usgs.gov...

[edit on 11-9-2004 by FredT]

Very interesting. I wonder how all sides are going to spin this?

I think that it could just be a test, or it's a show of the strength of the weapons of that Country. It also could be a reaction by N. Korea to some intelligence they received, kind of like, "look, we are capable!"

abcnews.go.com...

North Korea was founded Sept. 9, 1948. Leader Kim Jong Il uses the occasion to stage performances and other events to bolster loyalty among the impoverished North Korean population.

Experts have speculated that North Korea might use a major anniversary to conduct a nuclear-related test, though there was no immediate indication that Thursday's reported explosion was linked to Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

Interesting.

Data from station HIA (Hailar, China)
aslwww.cr.usgs.gov...

The Inchon Station apears to be off the network right now

Data from station ENH (Enshi, Hubei Province, China)
aslwww.cr.usgs.gov...

Data from station YSS (Yuzhno Sakhalinsk, Russia)
aslwww.cr.usgs.gov...

I think this is their first nuclear test.


Earlier today I read an article that there had been significant heightening in tensions over the past 10 days. I'll need to look it out.

We really need one thread on this, not two or three or four, I need all of my info in one place. I'm lazy.

EDIT: I choose this one.

[edit on 11-9-2004 by curme]

Alleged Nuclear Test Site Said to House Missile Launch Facilities

SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's Kimhyongjik County, reported as the site of the North's alleged test explosion of a nuclear weapon, is a mountainous area bordering China.

Located in the North's northernmost inland province of Yanggang, the area lies next to China's Jian City in the northern Chinese province of Jilian, where millions of ethnic Koreans reside.

Its a nuclear test. Or a very bad accident.

Let us all remember that Mr. GW Bush declared NK to be a member to the "Axis of Evil." Kim Jong Il is getting a little nervous, I would guess. Given that 9/9 was an anniversary it was probably a planned explosion. It sounds nuclear to me, but we must remember that a delivery system is an important component for a nuke. Hmmm. Wasn't it Bill Clinton who gave nuclear materials to NK?

It really isn't good news for the peninsula.

Question for anyone in the know:

Don't most countries (US, GB, Russia, Germ.) have the ability to detect when a nuclear explosion or accident has taken place?



If it was an accident lets hope lil' Kim had a front row seat.

I think you need to take this one very seriously.

WASHINGTON (AFP) Sep 12, 2004
US President George W. Bush and his top advisers have received intelligence reports in recent days describing a confusing series of actions by North Korea that some experts believe could indicate the country is preparing to conduct its first nuclear weapon test, The New York Times reported on its Web site Saturday.

Citing unnamed senior officials with access to intelligence, the newspaper said US intelligence agencies appear divided over the significance of the new North Korean actions.

The suspicious activities included the movement of materials around several suspected test sites, including one near a location where intelligence agencies reported last year that conventional explosives were being tested that could compress a plutonium core and set off a nuclear explosion, The Times said.

SpaceWar

Just found this from Drudge. It appears we may haveknown they were getting ready for a possible test.



EDIT: I see nerdling found a similar source. Still, you can see the link from NYT

[edit on 9/11/2004 by phreak_of_nature]

I just found this:

Original Source WASHINGTON - The US intelligence community is in the grip of an internal debate on whether new data on North Korea should be interpreted as a sign the country is preparing for its first nuclear weapons test, US administration officials said late Saturday.


A nuclear test by North Korea ahead of a US presidential election could deal a severe blow to President George W. Bush�s strategy of diplomatic containment of the Stalinist state that has openly bragged about its nuclear ambitions.

Originally posted by Nerdling
I think this is their first nuclear test.


Earlier today I read an article that there had been significant heightening in tensions over the past 10 days. I'll need to look it out.

Check out the seismographs. I posted some links to the SE asian sites. However, in looking arounf something registered on Posts world wide even in the CONUS at 2300. If this was test. God help us. If it was not a test god help all those civilians.

Originally posted by Bleys
Don't most countries (US, GB, Russia, Germ.) have the ability to detect when a nuclear explosion or accident has taken place?

When Chenobyl melted down and the USSR was afraid to tell anyone, it was a Nordic country, I believe who detected the radiation several days later.

Someone here suggested looking at seismic data, that would give a clue. Certainly in time the truth will be known. It's a little hard to set off a nuclear explosion and not have anyone notice.

A 2.5 mile diameter mushroom cloud is significant. Nukes aren't the only explosions that produce mushroom clouds. It's just none are quite so spectacular.

There's been no massive rescue effort to get people. Massive explosions don;t just happen in deserted area's. This is a nuclear test or a nuclear accident.