This is French version of Sellafield. It is difficult to evaluate right now how serious the situation, based on the information we have at the moment. But it can develop further,” said Bellona nuclear physicist Nils Bøhmer.
A security perimeter has been set up because of the risk of leakage. The explosion hit the site at 11:45 local time.An explosion hit the Marcoule nuclear plant in southern France today, killing at least one person and injuring three others, the BBC reports. The site handles nuclear waste and recycles plutonium from nuclear weapons into MOX fuel, but does not include any reactors. The explosion occurred near a furnace, but France's nuclear watchdog tells Reuters that no radioactive material has leaked out.Last March, a level 2 incident had already occurred in the same plant (on a scale up to 7). This incident was initially reported as "level 1" by Areva, but after reviewing the case, the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) decided to classify it as "level 2". The ASN asserted it was "the failure of several safety requirements of the installation."
The last high-profile disaster at a nuclear facility was the Fukushima power plant disaster in Japan. The power plant was heavily damaged on March 11 by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and several of its reactors melted down after safety systems failed.
The disaster resulted in massive leaks of radioactive materials and evacuation of residents of the area.
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