Tension Report Application
Submitting Party: Senkaku
Nation Name of Submitting Party: The Golden League
Affected Quadrant(s): Gamma
Precise Locations (If Applicable): Hanjin (Taozixing, Hanjin Electorate)
Nation(s) Involved: The Golden League
Description:
A massive explosion has occurred at the Karhal Lake surface facility used by the Hanjin Space Self-Defense Force to berth and repair its ships, believed to have originated from the heavy tender Mutsu (the lead vessel of the new Mutsu-class tenders), which had been undergoing minor refitting. The Mutsu was anchored in Karhal Lake, a large glacial lake located around 100 miles outside of Hanjin, and according to a terse press release put out by the Space Self-Defense Force, "suffered a catastrophic failure". The cause of the explosion remains under investigation and almost no details have been released, but the Hanjin State Political Office announced it was investigating possible political connections to the blast, hinting at foul play, and potentially at further reprisals by the regime against the Workers' Front political party. Hanjin has recently suffered political turmoil in the wake of the Liberty Coalition's victory over the Workers' Front in recent elections, which were followed by the implementation of martial law and massive purges by President Hu Nian against her political opponents in the WF. The entire Hanjin Electorate has also been paralyzed by the recent soba rust outbreak on Senryoku-3, which has caused serious disruption to daily life and has brought the Hu regime under fire from critics who have not been muzzled or arrested. At present, most information is coming from live drone and orbital feeds of the explosion site.
The blast itself created a spectacular mushroom cloud visible all the way from downtown Hanjin, more than 100 miles away, and initial reports indicate that the Karhal Lake facility has suffered immense damage. Orbital imagery shows that Mutsu appears to have settled and is now resting on the bottom of the lake, with only a few protruding elements remaining above the surface. Secondary explosions, apparently from within the ship, continue to occasionally perturb the lake's surface, and falling debris and thick smoke and clouds of steam have made repair and rescue efforts difficult. The Hanjin Urban Area Environmental Directorate has announced it is monitoring Karhal Lake's water levels, temperature, and radioactivity, and several metropolitan departments around Karhal Lake have been evacuated due to concern about larger secondary blasts. The number of dead and injured in the most severely affected departments is not known, but the Metropolitan Emergency Response Authority's spokespersons have stated they believe the total could rise into the hundreds or thousands, thanks to the incredible power of the explosion (which shattered windows and knocked people down as far as fifty miles away). Dozens elsewhere in Hanjin have been killed or injured by falling debris, which the Space Self-Defense Force has announced may be toxic or radioactive.
Potential Greater Impact(s):
If the State Political Office's investigation produces evidence of sabotage, it will almost certainly presage further political violence and instability in Hanjin, which has been on edge since the recent purges and declaration of martial law. Combined with the soba rust outbreak, Mutsu's destruction is also sure to herald further criticism, discontent towards, and backlash against the Hu regime.
Even if the city's deep political divisions end up remaining largely unaffected by Mutsu's explosion, the Space Self-Defense Force will be deeply impacted by the incident. The Karhal Lake arsenal is one of the SSDF's largest facilities and had a number of ships moored there along with thousands of personnel besides Mutsu and her crew. There are expected to be very heavy casualties in both ships and personnel, striking a severe blow against the SSDF's capabilities and morale, and these will also be depressed by the sudden unexpected loss of one of the force's newest, most powerful ships. Mutsu's sister ship Settsu is now the only next-generation heavy tender in service with the SSDF.
