Nuclear plant accident results in casualties

One worker is dead and three more have been hospitalized after a carbon dioxide leak at the Ascó nuclear power plant in Catalonia, Spain. Local authorities suspect an overcharge in the plant’s fire protection system.

Seven firefighter units and four medical emergency vehicles were deployed to Ascó on Wednesday evening at around 7 pm local time. Emergency crews secured the facility and evacuated the casualties.

The fire-fighting system at the plant “suffered a CO2 leak that has affected four people,” Catalan authorities said.

One of the workers affected has died, while the remaining three are currently in a hospital in nearby Móra d'Ebre.

There was no radiation release from the incident, according to both the plant and the local authorities. The Ascó plant had been investigated for a radiation leak at the Unit 1 reactor in November 2007, resulting in the firing of its director.

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