The map above simulates a 300-kiloton nuclear airburst over Kolkata, India — roughly the size of a modern deployed warhead. The coloured rings show the estimated fireball, the zones of heavy, moderate and light blast damage, the reach of the thermal flash and the ionizing-radiation dose. Drag the marker or change the weapon in the full simulator to explore other scenarios.
The metropolitan area is home to about 15.3 million people — the rings above are drawn to real scale over their homes.
The marker is on the Esplanade at the northern end of the Maidan. The 1.9 km zone of total destruction covers Dalhousie Square (BBD Bagh), Writers' Building, New Market, Park Street's western end and Eden Gardens; the 4.7 km collapse ring reaches Howrah station across the Hooghly, the Victoria Memorial, Sealdah station and Bowbazar. Third-degree burns extend to about 7.5 km over north Kolkata's old neighbourhoods, Ballygunge, Howrah's centre and Kidderpore docks; the 14.5 km ring of broken windows reaches Salt Lake, Dum Dum, Tollygunge, Garden Reach and the airport's approach.
Kolkata's metropolitan area holds about 15 million people and the old city north of the Maidan is one of the densest urban fabrics anywhere, with narrow lanes and unreinforced brick buildings that fail well below 5 psi. The Hooghly is wide enough to absorb some blast to the west. India's arsenal and the regional balance are covered in Nuclear arsenals.
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