Near-disaster at birthplace of atomic bomb during plutonium rod photo session

(The Albuquerque Journal via AP, File)

A near-disaster at an American nuclear weapons laboratory at Los Alamos was deliberately kept quiet – as workers nearly triggered a nuclear chain reaction during a photo session.

Workers gathered eight rods of plutonium and put them side-to-side for photography, News.com reported – in a near-fatal mistake.

Patrick Malone of the Center for Public Integrity wrote, ‘Plutonium is the unstable, radioactive, man-made fuel of a nuclear explosion.

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‘When too much is put in one place, it becomes “critical” and begins to fission uncontrollably, spontaneously sparking a nuclear chain reaction, which releases energy and generates a deadly burst of radiation.’

Thankfully, no workers were harmed after a technician (dangerously) moved the rods apart by hand – but it was described as the most dangerous incident in years.

The Los Alamos laboratory in Santa Fe was the birthplace of the atomic bomb during World War II – but a letter by the Defence Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said safety standards now had ‘numerous weaknesses’.

In one recent incident, workers were fired after radioactive materials were mistakenly shipped on a commercial cargo plane.

The lab failed recent safety tests for how it would respond to emergencies such as radioactive leaks, News.com reported.

Donald Trump has previously spoken out about his desire to modernise America’s nuclear arsenal.