A fire broke out at a cooling tower of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine, with dense black smoke and multiple explosions observed.
Ukraine accused Russia of negligence, arson, or using the plant for military purposes, while Russia blamed Ukrainian shelling or drone attacks for the fire.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the fire but stated there was no threat to nuclear safety or detected radiation spike, although it expressed concerns over the escalating conflict near the plant.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of lighting the fire at the plant, calling it an act of "nuclear blackmail."
The fire incident fueled concerns over the potential for a nuclear disaster, given the plant's strategic importance and the ongoing conflict in the region.
Sources: El Comercio, The Australian, Istoé, Okezone, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, Reuters, Independent, CNN, Times of India, ABC, Diário do Centro do Mundo, CNN Brasil, Repubblica, Manila Standard, Express, Outlook India, LatestLY, Head Topics, Breaking the News.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
