Explosion reported at nuclear plant in France

An explosion has occurred at a nuclear facility in western France, with initial reports of possible injuries but no nuclear leak.

A fire caused the explosion in a "non-nuclear" part of EDF's Flamanville nuclear power plant in northern France on Thursday, causing the shutdown of one of the two pressurized water reactors at the facility.

In a statement, EDF said that the fire had been brought under control by its team there, adding that reactor number 1 had been disconnected from the grid.

Meanwhile, EDF and a local government official said that five people suffered smoke inhalation but there were no serious injuries, adding that there was also no associated nuclear leak.

"It is a technical incident. It is not a nuclear accident," senior local official Jacques Witkowski told AFP.

He said that authorities had ruled out sabotage as cause of the blast, adding that a ventilator had exploded outside the nuclear zone at the plant.

"It's all over. The emergency teams are leaving," he added.

Another senior local official, Olivier Marmion, also said that the blast was a “significant technical event” but “not a nuclear accident.”

SS