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發表於 2006-10-10 21:59:27
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Analysis shows small explosion
Meanwhile, scientific analysis of an explosion, which North Korea said was a successful nuclear test, raised questions about the claim.
The apparent nuclear test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. Monday in Hwaderi near Kilju city, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing defense officials.
U.S., French and South Korean experts estimated that the power of the explosion, about 240 miles northeast of Pyongyang, was equivalent to about 500 metric tons of TNT, which a senior U.S. intelligence community official said was unusually small for a nuclear blast.
By comparison, nuclear tests in 1998 by India and Pakistan were about 24 to 50 times as powerful, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Also, the small size of Monday's explosion may make it difficult for geological sensors to pick up radioactive emissions that would effectively confirm a nuclear test -- raising the possibility that the international community may never know for sure whether North Korea actually has a working nuclear bomb. |
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