6 More Die; Soviets Punish 3 for Delaying World Alert : 35 in Grave Condition, Tass Reports

The Soviet Union today announced six deaths from burns and radiation in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and said 35 people are in grave condition, nearly twice the number acknowledged previously.

The six dead apparently are in addition to the two people previously reported killed in the April 26 explosion and fire at the Ukrainian plant 80 miles north of Kiev.

Pravda, the Communist Party daily, said three local party officials are being punished for the three-day delay in telling the world about the nuclear disaster and a bungled evacuation that did not begin until 36 hours after the accident.

Today’s report on casualties from the Council of Ministers, distributed by the Tass press agency, was the first new official report of deaths in nearly two weeks.

Previous official accounts said that one person died of steam burns and that the other was killed by falling debris as firefighters battled the blaze in Chernobyl’s No. 4 reactor.

“Medical and preventive measures are being taken among the injured,” the Council of Ministers statement said. “Thirty-five persons are in grave condition, six who suffered from burns and radiation died.”

1st Punitive Action

It did not elaborate.

According to earlier official statistics, 18 radiation victims were in serious condition. A total of 204 people were reported injured.

The disciplinary measures announced in Pravda were the first known punitive action resulting from the accident that spewed a cloud of radiation over much of Europe.

An official identified only as A. Shapoval, chief engineer of the branch supplying construction materials and transport at Chernobyl, was expelled from party ranks for “indifference and shirking his duties” to evacuees, Pravda said.

Another worker, A. Sichkarenko, received a reprimand entered in his party membership record for the same neglect of duty.

A. Gubski, head of the Communist Party at the branch where Shapoval and Sichkarenko also worked, was given a lesser reprimand for failing to give timely and accurate information on the disaster, Pravda said.

Likely to Lose Jobs

Pravda also hinted that the officials will lose their jobs, saying the party committee found it “inexpedient that the leaders who had compromised themselves should remain in their posts.”

There has been no public indication that higher-ranking officials, such as ministers, top scientists or senior Ukrainian party officials, might be punished in connection with the world’s worst nuclear power disaster.

Today’s announcement said decontamination work is continuing at the plant, as well as efforts to cool the damaged reactor and build a cement “tomb” around its radioactive core, which many Western scientists believe melted.

“The radiation situation in Byelorussia and the Ukraine, including Kiev, is improving,” it said.

A report on the cleanup published tonight in the government newspaper Izvestia said buildings at the plant and nearby are being decontaminated with water that is drained away into a special filter system to free it of radioactive material.

Topsoil in the “danger zone” is being removed and the area covered with concrete, Izvestia said.