Fortunately for the settlement, the wind bore the radiation away from Ozyorsk. Nevertheless, radiation in the town grew due to Mayak workers, who returned from work in irradiated shoes and clothes.
A fence was erected around the city, cutting it off from the outside world. Workers at the combine were required to sign a confidentiality clause, and any departure from the city was thwarted.
Due to the secrecy clause that Mayak was under, propaganda information about the accident and its aftermath was presented to residents. A week after the explosion, an article was published in a local newspaper that considered the column of smoke hovering over Mayak to be the aurora borealis.
