An explosion caused a fire overnight at the site of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Friday.
The agency said the blast was reported at the New Safe Confinement, a dome which protects the remains of reactor 4.
It said no casualties were reported.
“Radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable. IAEA continues monitoring the situation,” the agency said in a statement on X.
Zelenskyy blames Russian drone
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the explosion was caused by a Russian drone attack.
He said the fire had been extinguished but that there was significant damage to the site’s protective dome.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the overnight incident, as well as the increase in military activity around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, highlighted “persistent nuclear safety risks.”
“There is no room for complacency, and the IAEA remains on high alert,” he said.
Chernobyl is the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, which began on April 26 1986 with the explosion of the number 4 reactor. The New Safe Confinement around the destroyed reactor was completed in 2018.
Edited by: Alex Berry
Article by:Source:
