Explosion at nuclear power plant on French coast of English Channel


Staff at the Flamanville plant in Normandy immediately brought the fire under control, EDF said.
The cause of the fire, in the number one reactor building, was not immediately clear.
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Hide AdThe machine room housing turbines that produce electricity is a non-nuclear area of the plant, which is around 100 miles south-west across the channel from Portsmouth.
There was no radiation leak as a result of the fire or blast, EDF said.
The firm said the plant’s number one reactor was subsequently disconnected from the grid - normal operating procedure in such circumstances.
Flamanville has two 1,300 megawatt reactors, the first in operation since 1985, and the second since 1986.