It's been 17 years since the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe -- but a new disaster could be around the bend if the concrete shield encasing the old power station isn't rapidly reinforced, according to Russia's energy minister. "We can see a situation where the roof could fall in, or rather the supports that hold up the roof could fall down. There are a lot of holes in the sarcophagus," said Alexander Rumyantsev. The minister also said the shield was initially put up quickly under difficult and dangerous conditions, and urgently needs replacing to protect the Ukraine from another -- albeit smaller -- nuclear calamity. Despite his experiences with Chernobyl, Rumyantsev remains a staunch supporter of nuclear energy and claims the number of victims of the world's worst civilian nuclear disaster were exaggerated.
straight to the source: Planet Ark, Reuters, Oliver Bullough, 24 Apr 2003
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