Explosion lethal in the French nuclear power plant

At least one person died and four were injured in a nuclear power plant explosion in southern France today.

The explosion occurred at 1145 local time at the Marcoule factory, BBC reported. A security fence was soon set up to guard against potential threats to the environment around the nuclear power plant. Officials at the scene said the blast originated from a fire near a kiln in a radioactive waste storage area called Centraco.

Marcoule nuclear power plant and plant location map. (Photo: AFP, BBC Graphics)

Although one person died and four were injured after the explosion, the owner of the factory, the national electricity supplier EDF, said it was an industrial accident, not a nuclear accident. EDF also confirmed that everything was under control and no injured workers were exposed to radiation, officials added.

EDF spokesman said the kiln was affected by the explosion used to burn waste, including fuel, or tools and clothes used in the production of nuclear energy, but there are Low radiation level. French Ministry of Interior spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet then said there was no radioactive leak in the area of ​​the explosion as well as around the Marcoule nuclear power plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had contacted French officials to find out more about the cause of the explosion. Meanwhile, French Environment Minister, Nathalie Kosciuscko-Morizet, visited the scene of the explosion today. AFP quoted Kosciuscko-Morizet as saying her presence was intended to help conduct an accurate assessment of the possible radiation effects after the explosion.

Center for radioactive waste storage and processing Centraco is a subsidiary of EDF, specializing in the production of MOX fuel used in recycling plutonium from nuclear weapons. Marcoule nuclear power plant went into operation in 1955 and is one of the oldest plants in France, although it has been greatly modernized.

All 58 French nuclear reactors underwent rigorous checks over the past few months, following the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Nuclear safety is a very sensitive issue in France, the country has 75% of its energy needs met from nuclear power. In June, France announced that it had invested 1 billion euros in the nuclear industry, including a large part for nuclear safety research.