According to new reports, 200 people apparently died in the October crash at the unfinished tunnel at the Punggye-ri site, after rescuers sent to rescue 100 people buried under the rubble themselves trapped after the second crash occurred. The test site is located in a mountainous area in the North-East of the country.

“One might speculate that North Korea conducted these nuclear tests purposefully on days with light wind conditions, so that any resulting radiation leakage would remain within its borders and would go undetected internationally,” said Dr. Joel N. Myers, AccuWeather founder and president. “We know from other news reports that there has been an accident at the nuclear test site, and the situation that North Korea may have anticipated with radiation being contained within North Korea has changed. As winds pick up out of the northwest over the next few days, it is possible that any radiation that leaks from the site could be carried and dispersed across the Sea of Japan [East Sea] and even to the Japanese islands.”

The threat could include Hokkaido and far-Northern Honshu, with the possibility of radiation reaching areas further South this weekend, local time.

With the stability of the site in question, South Korean officials have warned that any further nuclear tests could lead to radioactive materials being released into the atmosphere, and it is possible they could reach the Japanese island of Hokkaido, according to Japanese news outlet Asahi Shimbun.

More information about AccuWeather.com: North Korea Nuclear test: How far will radiation travel in the event of a leak? Japan meteorological centerthe South Korean weather center

Japan has suffered from previous nuclear events, including the bombing of world war II and The Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.