Hydrogen bomb test: Why worrisome for world leaders

New Delhi, Jan 8: World leaders shook on January 6 morning when North Korea bragged about the "spectacular success" of its first hydrogen bomb test which resulted into a 5.1 magnitude earthquake near its nuclear site.

If true, North Korea will be the sixth country after US, Russia, France, China and UK which carried the successful test of the hydrogen bomb. The international community has rushed to verify the accuracy of the North Korea's claim.

Hydrogen bomb is a weapon energised by the nuclear fusion of hydrogen isotopes in a chain reaction. It was developed the US in 1958.

It is more powerful than basic atomic bomb as it uses fusion to create blast. Nuclear bomb is also known as thermo-nuclear bomb.

According to experts hydrogen bomb also called the thermonuclear bomb can be 1,000 times or more powerful than atomic weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.

The "Little Boy" atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 had a yield of 15 kilotons, while the "Fat Man" dropped on Nagasaki a few days later had a yield of 20 kilotons.

The US, Japan and South Korea have decided to launch a united and strong international response to North Korea's claim of a successful hydrogen bomb test.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe denounced the action as "a grave threat to the safety of our country."

World leaders and analysts are sceptical of concerns because the massive power of the hydrogen bomb.

North Korea, yet to become a nuclear behemoth is believed to have a handful of nuclear warheads and has carried out three previous nuclear tests since 2006 - for which it earned United Nations sanctions.

The technology of the H-bomb is more sophisticated. It can be made small enough to fit on a head of an intercontinental missile.

The hydrogen bomb was never dropped on any targets.

OneIndia News