An industrial accident at a nuclear reactor in western Arkansas has killed one person and sent eight others to the hospital to be treated for injuries.
According to Entergy, the owner and operator of Arkansas Nuclear One, in London, Ark., the "significant industrial accident" occurred early Sunday morning when a generator fell from a crane while it was being moved out of the nuclear campus' turbine building during scheduled maintenance.
The campus has two nuclear reactors which provide 30 percent of the state's energy demand. Unit One remains offline as part of a scheduled refueling outage, while the accident caused Unit Two to automatically shut down.
Both units are in a "stable shutdown condition" and there is no danger to the public, according to Entergy.
"There was no radiological release and no impact on public health and safety. The emergency response organization remains staffed in order to provide oversight in support of ongoing plant repairs," Entergy said in a statement.
The accident was given an "unusual event classification", which is the lowest of four emergency classifications designated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
An initial statement by Entergy reported three injuries, however a statement issued later indicated there was a total of eight injuries in addition to the fatality. The employees were transported to a local hospital, where six of them were treated and released. Two reactor employees remain hospitalized for their injuries, Entergy said in a statement.
"We are deeply saddened by what has happened today," Entergy executive vice president and chief nuclear officer said in the release. "Our greatest sympathy is with the family and friends of the employee who lost his life, and with those who sustained injuries.
"I also want to express my sorrow and support to all those who work at Arkansas Nuclear One. I know this is especially hard on them."
A video from local news station KATV can be seen here.
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