Pak nuke plant gas leakage kills two

Islamabad, Apr.9 : At least two workers were reported killed on Tuesday after gas leaked from the Khushab Nuclear Plant, which was undergoing annual maintenance.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) sources were quoted as saying that personnel at the nuclear plant have been evacuated as a precautionary measure. Police posted near the facility were even alerted by plant officials to prepare buses for a wider evacuation but then were told they would not be needed.

According to The Nation, the leakage was non-radioactive but the release of toxic gas at the plant, which is about 250 kilometres south of Islamabad, had left several workers unconscious. The surrounding area of 16 kilometres radius was sealed off after the evacuation and residents of a nearby town were also ordered to move to safer places.

It was the second incident of leakage of hydrogen sulphide, which is used in the production of heavy water at the facility. Five people were killed a couple of years back when a gas cylinder exploded while being unloaded from a truck.

ANI