'Gas leak caused blast' at Pakistan nuclear plant

A gas leak sparked an explosion and fire that killed two workers at a nuclear plant believed to produce enriched plutonium for Pakistan’s atomic weapons programme.

The Khushab heavy water plant, which is under military control, was shut down yesterday at the time for annual maintenance, said a statement from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, which evacuated the facility.

It said there was no risk to the public outside the sprawling facility southeast of the capital, Islamabad.

“All necessary steps were taken,” the statement said, adding the situation “was immediately brought under control”.

Police near the facility say they were advised by plant officials to prepare buses for a wider evacation, then were told they would not be needed.

The commission said the leaking gas was burned off by plant equipment. The cause was under investigation.

Hamid Mukhtar Gondal, police chief for the district where Khushab is located, said he was told that an accidental blast was caused by an unspecified gas.

“After the blast, the building caught fire,” Mr Gondal said. “Two men sustained burns and died on the way to a hospital.”

He said the situation was under control, and there were no additional reports of casualties.

“The fire has been put out. There is no spread of poisonous gas at all,” he said.