Investigation of Uranium Gas Leak at KEPCO Nuclear Fuel with "2 Injured"... "No External Leak"

NSSC "Dispatch Incident Investigation Team On-site, Detailed Cause Investigation"
"Purification Facility Operating at the Time... Radiation Levels Maintained at Normal"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] On the 10th, a uranium gas leak occurred inside the KEPCO Nuclear Fuel factory, resulting in two injuries.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission announced that at around 9:57 a.m. that day, uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas leaked inside the vaporization room of KEPCO Nuclear Fuel's 2nd plant located in Deokjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, causing two injuries.

The NSSC stated, "An incident investigation team composed of experts from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety has been dispatched to the site to investigate the detailed cause."

During the UF6 vaporization process, a gas leak occurred from a valve, causing two workers to suffer burns and other injuries. They were transported to a hospital in the Daejeon area and received emergency treatment. Currently, the National Radiation Emergency Medical Center (Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences) is measuring precise radiation exposure doses.

The NSSC added, "At the time of the incident, the UF6 purification equipment was operating, so there was no radioactive leakage to the outside," and confirmed that "radiation levels inside the factory remained at normal levels."

They further stated, "We plan to conduct an analysis of the cause of the gas leak incident, evaluate the impact on the surrounding radiation environment, and thoroughly review measures to prevent recurrence by the operator to ensure the safety of the nuclear fuel cycle facility."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.