This is what would happen if a nuclear bomb hit Blackburn

'What Happens in a Bomb Blast?' is an interactive map based on NUKEMAP created by Alex Wellerstein, a historian of nuclear weapons and an assistant professor of science and technology studies at the Stevens Institute of Technology.

The interactive map gives users the chance to see exactly what would happen if a nuclear bomb was detonated in their town or city.

The map comes just as tensions between the West and Russia have dominated news headlines in recent weeks with government officials warning that a nuclear war with Russia over Ukraine would be “a very unwelcome outcome”.

The doomsday clock, which acts as a metaphor for global apocalypse, has also remained at 100 seconds this year, with the world’s accelerating nuclear programmes being cited as one contributing factor in the unmoving clock.

The clever interactive tool, developed by outrider.org, provides an estimation of the number of fatalities, as well as how far the fireball, radiation, shockwave and heat will reach.

According to the map, if a W-87 nuclear bomb were to be dropped on Blackburn, 90,301 people would die, which is more than 70 per cent of the population of Blackburn alone.

Over 90,000 people would die if a nuclear bomb were to be dropped on Blackburn (Photo: Outrider.org)

A further 117,830 would be injured in the blast radius, which would reach as far as Oswaldtwistle and Mellor Brook.

The initial fireball, and point of impact, would be 0.73 miles wide. Anything and anyone inside the fireball would be vapourised instantly.

The fireball would decimate most of the city centre, stretching from Montague Street to Audley Range.

The next phase is the radiation, which would extend to around 5.6sq miles from the initial fireball.

The radiation, caused by the distribution of the nuclear components of the warhead, would give people in this area a dose of 500rem of radiation, 800 times greater than the average annual exposure to radiation in the United States.

50-90 per cent of people will die a painful death from radiation poisoning, only living for a few hours or weeks.

Queen’s Park and Wensley Fold are some of the areas included in this area.

Following on from this is the shockwave which is an invisible destructive force moving out from the center of the blast.

This will destroy most buildings and many people are likely to be killed or injured by collapsing structures.

Knuzden Brook, Sunnybower and Lower Darwen are just some of the areas included in this blast zone.

The final wave of the blast, stretching to 48.54sq miles, would be an intense heat, strong enough to see most materials catch fire.

Anyone within this radius would have severe or fatal third-degree burns.

Belthorn, Oswaldtwistle, Pleasington, Rishton and Wilpshire are encompassed in this huge fire blast zone.

These figures and estimations are based on a surface explosion of a W-87 bomb.

If a larger Tsar Bomba were dropped, which was the largest USSR bomb detonated, over half a million people would be killed if a bomb were to be dropped on Blackburn.

Over 500,000 people would die if a Tsar Bomba were dropped on Blackburn (Photo: Outrider.org)

The entire blast radius would extend to Manchester, Livepool, Skipton and beyond with most of Lancashire decimated.

View the map for yourself on the Outrider.org website.