Chinese state media tells readers how to survive a nuclear attack

BEIJING: The official staterun newspaper in northeastern China’s Jilin city, near the border with North Korea, yesterday published a page of ‘ common sense’ advice on how readers can protect themselves from a nuclear weapons attack or explosion.

China has voiced grave concern over North Korea’s nuclear and missiles programme, as well as calling on the United States and South Korea to stop provoking Pyongyang.

US bombers will f ly over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday as part of a large- scale joint military drills with South Korea. The North has warned the drills would push the Korean Peninsula to the ‘brink of war’.

The full page article in the Jilin Daily, which does not mention possible attacks by North Korea or any other country, explains how nuclear weapons differ from traditional arms and instructs people how to protect themselves in the event of an attack.

Nuclear weapons have five means of causing destruction: light radiation, blast waves, earlystage nuclear radiation, nuclear electro- magnetic pulses and radioactive pollution, the article explained. It said the first four kill instantly.

People who find themselves outside during a nuclear attack should try to lie in a ditch, cover exposed skin in light coloured clothing or dive into a river or lake to try and minimise the possibility of instantaneous death, it said.

Cartoon illustrations of ways to dispel radioactive contamination were also provided, such as using water to wash off shoes and using cotton buds to clean ears, as well as a picture of a vomiting child to show how medical help can be sought to speed the expulsion of radiation through stomach pumping and induced urination. — Reuters