Tuesday, July 4, 1961: K-19 nuclear accident

A leak develops in the cooling system of the K-19, a Soviet nuclear submarine, while it was on exercises in the North Atlantic near southern Greenland. A meltdown is averted, but the eight crew members who carried out repairs all died within three weeks of radiation poisoning; the rest of the crew also received substantial doses of radiation.

* Summary from National Geographic: @

* Excerpt from "Rising Tide: The Untold Story of the Russian Submarines that Fought the Cold War" (book): @

* Pravda article: @

* "The Russian Northern Fleet: Nuclear submarine accidents": @

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