Twin town nuclear blast claims a life

The explosion near Newbury's twin town Bagnols-sur-Ceze happened at one of France’s oldest nuclear sites

A NUCLEAR blast which occurred close to Newbury's French twin town Bagnols-sur-Ceze has claimed the life of one person and injured four others.

The incident occurred at the Marcoule nuclear site in southern France - seven miles south east of Bagnols-sur-Ceze - at about 11.45am, 9.45am GMT, yesterday (Monday) and according to national reports, it was caused by a fire near a furnace in the Centraco radioactive waste storage site.

French officials said there was no risk of a radioactive leak after the blast.

The plant's owner, national electricity provider EDF, said it had been "an industrial accident, not a nuclear accident".

Marcoule nuclear site was opened in 1955 and is one of France's oldest nuclear sites.

Bagnols-sur-Ceze has been twinned with Newbury since 1970.