Explosion in the French nuclear power plant

Explosion in the French nuclear power plant: safety zone built around the plant

12.09.2011 / UPDATE: 16:01

According to an AFP news agency, an atomic incident has occurred in a nuclear power plant (NPP) in France in the northern region of Avignon. In the Southern French nuclear power plant, an explosion has taken place. There is a risk that radioactive material escapes to the atmosphere, as a spokesman for the regional fire department reported to AFP. The authorities have meanwhile confirmed the incident. A spokesman for the authorities said that an explosion took place in one of the stoves.

The accident killed one worker and injured four more people. Whether radioactivity actually got into the closer environment could not be said, as a spokeswoman of the nuclear plant in Marcoule announced on Monday. "It's a low-level waste incinerator," she explained. The cause of the accident was initially unknown.

Radioactive material could escape
However, there is a risk of radioactivity escaping from the plant near Avignon, communicated the local authorities and the fire department. For this reason, a safety zone was built around the plant. The atomic plant will be used by the state-owned nuclear company Areva for the treatment of spent fuel rods. The ovens are used to produce the uranium-plutonium mixture MOX.

A spokesman for the Society for Plant and Reactor Safety (GRS) said that so far no radioactivity could be detected in the environment. The speaker claims to rely on colleagues in France. It is not expected that this could happen. Because the "building in which this oven is located, is intact."

The affected plant is Marcoule and a decommissioned nuclear power plant in France. The nuclear power plant is located about 30 kilometers from Avignon in the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon in the Gard department on the River Rhône. Whether radioactive rays have leaked is still unclear. It is also unclear on which Richter scale the nuclear accident is to be measured. The fire brigades are currently in the process of extinguishing the fire.

France is the largest nuclear power producer in Europe. Nuclear power is produced in a total of 58 nuclear power plants. Even after the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, the government is holding on to the prevailing nuclear policy, despite Germany's efforts to phase it out. The government continues to make statements that point to the safety of nuclear reactors. (Sb)

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