November 20, 2002	Wednesday	Ramazan 14, 1423

HYDERABAD (India), Nov 19: Indian nuclear energy officials on Monday launched a probe into an explosion at a nuclear facility in the southern city of Hyderabad.

Officials said the blast, which happened on Sunday morning, had not caused any leakage of radioactive materials as it occurred away from the processing unit.

“There is nothing to panic about. It was a minor incident,” T.V. Nagendra, public relations officer for the Nuclear Fuel Complex in Hyderabad, was quoted as saying by the Hindu newspaper. The facility is used for processing nuclear fuels.

Officials at the complex refused to divulge details about the incident, but sources at the plant said the blast was probably triggered by a chemical reaction.

The explosion occurred at an ammonia nitrate purification plant within the complex.

Officials said no one was injured in the blast.—AFP