Emergencies ministry says no blaze, just a short circuit at nuclear power plant

There was no fire at the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Astraviec on 17 February 2018 contrary to the reports by United Civil Party, spokesman for the Ministry of Emergencies Vital Navicki told Euroradio.

"On that day, there was a short circuit in the power cable feeding the tower crane. There was no fire. Emergencies ministry units were not deployed because there was no need as there was no fire," Navicki said.

Euroradio reported earlier that on 25 April the website of the opposition United Civil Party published an article citing Mikalai Ulasevich, an Astraviec District resident and environmental activist, who talked about a 'big fire' on 17 February at the nuclear power plant's construction site. According to Ulasevich, a power switch board with expensive equipment was burned during the test activation of the reactor emergency protection system. "Powerful electric cables" were also damaged, he also said. He claimed the aftermath of the accident was yet to be eliminated.

Like the Emergencies Ministry, the Belarusian nuclear power plant's information center denounces reports about the fire.

Is it normal that we learn about incidents at the construction site of the nuclear power plant two months later from civic activists and not from officials? In our view, it is now - especiallt when officials at Ignalina nuclear power plant in neighboring Lithuania deems it necessary to inform quickly about every emergency situation at the station.

The latest update was on 3 April.