Amidst heightening tensions between the United States and Russia, researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University have developed a computer model that predicts at least 280,000 people would die within 48 hours if a nuclear bomb went off in Washington DC.

The scientists developed the program to predict the behavior of every individual in the city to help the government plan its emergency response.

They discovered that a nuke exploding at ground level in DC would destroy a city block and then shatter buildings for a mile in every direction.

In the first scenario, people who did nothing and refused to evacuate would be immediately exposed to radiation, leaving 279,020 dead in 48 hours.