12 Feb Nuclear plant explosion

Several people were slightly injured after inhaling fumes following an explosion at the Flamanville nuclear power plant on the north west coast of France, but there is believed to be no nuclear risk.

France Ouest newspaper reported that the blast had occurred in the engine room of the Flamanville plant at around 1000hrs on 9th February.

According to the regional authorities, an emergency plan of action called the Special Plan of Interventions (PPI) has not been triggered as there is no nuclear risk.

The fire brigade told the newspaper the explosion and a fire was reported inside the plant but outside the nuclear zone. Officials at the Paris headquarters of EDF, which runs the plant, had no immediate comment and local officials at the plant could not be immediately reached for comment.

It is interesting to note that In 2015, a weakness, believed to be a construction fault, was discovered in the steel housing the reactor core at the reactor under construction.