30 Avril 2015
April 29, 2015
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150429_11.html
Apr. 29, 2015 - Updated 04:23 UTC+2
A forest fire has erupted in an exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine, prompting fears that radioactive substances in the woodland may spread.
The fire broke out on Tuesday in the no-go zone set up within a 30-kilometer radius of the plant. It spread due to strong winds.
Ukraine's Interior Ministry says the fire has burned 400 hectares in the off-limits zone and reached an area 20 kilometers from the plant.
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told local media that 200 personnel are combating the blaze. He said the fire is the biggest since 1992, but the situation is under control.
Yatsenyuk added that no change in background radiation levels has been detected.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov indicated the fire may have been started intentionally, as the blaze is believed to have several origins.
One of the reactors at the Chernobyl plant exploded in 1986, sending a huge amount of radioactive materials into the air.