Sunday, November 20 2005 12:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Pakistani nuclear facilities and storage sites in the Northern Areas have suffered "15 to 20 percent damage" in the recent mega quake and the local populace faces the risk of contamination, a report said.

Claiming that these sites and facilities had suffered serious damage, the European website 'Newsinsight' reported that "the local population faces the risk of contamination, but a curfew has been imposed and they are being actively prevented by the authorities to leave the area".

"There is 15 to 20 per cent damage to Pakistani nuclear facilities and storage sites in the Northern Areas, especially in Skardu and Chitral," it said, adding "while Western sources did not say that reactors had been damaged in the October eight earthquake, they confirmed that missile silos had developed cracks and storage facilities had taken a hit".

Pakistan goverment turned away international relief teams "because of the serious damage to the nuclear facilities in the Northern Areas".

The report said Pakistan had not allowed Indian Army relief work or IAF supply drops besides withdrawing consent for Israeli assistance fearing infiltration by Mossad agents "who would destroy the atomic establishments".

"Since the epicentre is likely to be seismically active for another two years, they expressed fear of further collapse of the nuclear establishments," the website said.

"To prevent leak of this massive nuclear destruction, Pakistan bottled up the local population by imposing curfew and did not permit international inspection of the disaster-hit areas," it added.