Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Russian officials Wednesday canceled a planned evacuation of a village that was near nuclear materials that exploded last week in the northern region of Arkhangelsk, despite a spike in radiation.
This week, military officials initially planned to evacuate Nyonoksa, telling hundreds of residents there to prepare to evacuate for several hours. Arkhangelsk Gov. Igor Orlov said it was a "routine measure."
Russian authorities said the evacuation had already been planned and was not linked to the explosion last week. Wednesday, the evacuation was canceled, despite the fact Russian officials said radiation levels surged to between 4 and 16 times higher than normal.
Local officials did not initially explain why the evacuation was canceled. Some residents said such evacuations are common.
The Russian government has given only limited information about the explosion last week at the nearby military base that killed five scientists. The defense ministry initially said troops were testing a liquid propulsion system at a military range there.
Rosgidromet, Russia's weather service, said the spike was significant.
Several physicians who treated injured from the explosion have themselves been sent to a special clinic in Moscow, The Barents Observer reported.