IMAGES: One killed, 3 hurt in French nuke plant explosion

One person was killed and three others were injured in an explosion at a nuclear plant in Marcoule, southern France, on Monday. Security has been tightened around the plant in the wake of reports of a possible leak following the blast.

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According to the BBC, the explosion is said to have occurred following a fire in a storage site for radioactive waste. It quoted the Le Figaro newspaper, as saying that the plant in Marcoule is a major site, as it is involved with the decommissioning of nuclear facilities.

It produces MOX fuel, which recycles plutonium from nuclear weapons, but does not include any reactors.

A spokesman for France's atomic energy commission said there had so far been no leak but a security perimeter had been set up because of the risk.

The plant is located in the Gard department in Languedoc-Roussillon region, near France''s Mediterranean coast.