The extinguishing of the fire in the insulation of the outer shell of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant's sarcophagus arch is ongoing. High-altitude workers are partially uncovering the arch's structures to fill voids with fire extinguishing substances beneath the building's roof.
Currently, no deterioration in the radiation situation at the Chernobyl NPP has been recorded. No release of radioactive products beyond established limits has been detected.
This was reported by Grigory Ishchenko, the head of the State Agency of Ukraine for the Management of the Exclusion Zone, during a broadcast on the national telethon "Unified News."
"At the moment, the State Emergency Service continues efforts to eliminate the smoldering of the outer shell of the arch. So far, the smoldering has not been extinguished; three teams are working on extinguishing it while soaking the insulation and membrane.
Additionally, work is being conducted by high-altitude workers to partially uncover the arch's structure and fill voids with fire extinguishing substances under the building's roof. UAVs equipped with thermal imagers are also scanning the entire arch. Currently, 17 units of equipment and 80 emergency service personnel are on site…
Damage has been identified, including: the outer shell of the arch, through-damage (approximately 15 square meters), defects in the shell without complete destruction (nearly 200 sq. m), damage to the internal filler of the shell, and damage to bolt connections. There are also deformed joints in the upper part of the garage's structure…
Yes, a radiation leak beyond the arch is possible if the structure or building of the shelter object is damaged… As of today, no release of radioactive products beyond the established limits has been detected, and the radiation situation remains normal," Grigory Ishchenko stated.