The uranium oxide plant inside the huge Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) at Moulali, outside Hyderabad, was sealed off yesterday following an explosion in the plant a day earlier.

Experts from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission (AERC) from Mumbai arrived yesterday morning to carry out an investigation and inspect the complex, the only one in India making critical core components for all operating reactors in the country.

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.

Some NFC officials said the blast occurred due to the high temperature in the plant. The explosion occurred at an ammonia nitrate purification plant within the complex.

The purification plant was located away from other facilities where radioactive materials are used and there was no fire or leakage of any material from the blast, officials said.

There were no casualties after the explosion which took place on Sunday morning, and officials ruled out leakage of radioactive material saying work in all other plants in the complex was going on as usual.

The roof of the plant was blown off by the impact.

The uranium oxide plant converts magnesium diurinate, brought from mines in Jaduguda in Uttar Pradesh, into final uranium pellets which are used in the fuel bundles for reactors.

On Sunday the NFC public relations officer described the blast as a "minor one".

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 NFC immediately informed the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and an investigation was ordered yesterday.

"There is nothing serious about this incident," S.M. Rao, NFC's deputy chief executive in charge of safety, told The Associated Press.

"Such accidents are common in any chemical plant." However, the large blast caused the plant's roof to collapse, he said.

NFC chief C. Ganguly has ordered a high level inquiry into the cause of the explosion, confirmed Rao.