September 12th, 2011
08:28 AM ET

One killed in blast at French nuclear waste site, source says

An oven exploded Monday at a nuclear site in France, killing one person and injuring four others, a spokeswoman for French energy company EDF said.

There was no radioactive leak or waste released, she said. The Ministry of the Interior and the French nuclear safety agency also said there had been no radioactive leak, CNN affiliate BFM-TV reported.

The explosion took place in Marcoule, in southeastern France, the EDF spokeswoman said, declining to give her name in line with company policy.

Weapons-grade plutonium is produced at the plant, the think tank Global Security said. EDF did not immediately confirm that.

France relies heavily on nuclear power, which now accounts for about 80% of the country's electricity production, according to the U.S. State Department.

The French government has been reviewing the country's dependence on nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March, which was triggered by an earthquake and tsunami.

There have been no serious suggestions from mainstream politicians that France reduce its dependence on nuclear power, the State Department said.

Read CNN's full coverage of the explosion at a French nuclear site
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Filed under: Energy • France • Nuclear • World
soundoff (48 Responses)
  1. smartduck

    Fearing it was the start of an invasion the French preemptively surrendered to the terrorists.

    September 12, 2011 at 9:27 am | Report abuse |
    • an Incensed Frenchman

      How dare you ! We don't surrender to the terrorists. We just pay them ransom and hope they stop.

      September 12, 2011 at 11:03 am | Report abuse |
  2. Scottish Mama

    If women are out, I think less of this happens. He could have been in the breakroom for all we know?

    September 12, 2011 at 9:33 am | Report abuse |
  3. Nic Sarkozy

    Is my souflee ready?

    September 12, 2011 at 10:59 am | Report abuse |
  4. Get some lovin'

    In the oven

    September 12, 2011 at 11:01 am | Report abuse |
  5. banasy©

    *Sigh*

    September 12, 2011 at 11:08 am | Report abuse |
  6. Bimbo the Birthday Clown

    This reminds me of a vampire movie I saw once, where Robert Loggia killed some guy with a toaster oven. I'm not sure why. Maybe because there was a French actress in it.

    September 12, 2011 at 11:47 am | Report abuse |
    • Bimbo the Birthday Clown

      I just looked it up. It's called "Innocent Blood". The French actress is Anne Parillaud (very nice). Chazz Palminteri is in it too. Don Rickles plays mob lawyer. Weird.

      September 12, 2011 at 12:21 pm | Report abuse |
  7. banasy©

    @Bimbo:
    LMAO!

    September 12, 2011 at 12:00 pm | Report abuse |
  8. yada

    Nothin says 'lovin' like somethin from the oven.

    September 12, 2011 at 12:52 pm | Report abuse |
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