Explosion at French nuclear plant, no contamination risk: official

An explosion at a nuclear power station in northern France has caused minor injuries.

A photo showing the ongoing construction work on the Evolutionary Power Reactor nuclear power plant in Flamanville, France, on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016. Source: Bloomberg

An explosion at a nuclear power station in northern France on Thursday caused minor injuries but happened outside the plant's nuclear zone and posed no risk of contamination, authorities said.

"It is a significant technical event but it is not a nuclear accident," senior local official Olivier Marmion told AFP following the blast at the Flamanville plant 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of Cherbourg.