South Korean Nuclear Plant Halts Operation After Lightning
July 2, 2005
Text of report in English by South Korean news agency Yonhap
Yeonggwang, 2 July: A South Korean nuclear power plant was forced to halt operation Saturday [2 July], after its power transmission line was struck by lightning, a plant official said.
The lightning did not cause any serious damage such as radioactive leaks at the plant in Yeonggwang, 300 km south of Seoul, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The suspension is a mere lightning incident which doesn’t affect the plant’s safety,” the official said. “The plant will soon resume operation after inspections on its related facilities.”
South Korea has 20 nuclear power plants in operation, which produces about 40 per cent of its electricity needs.