ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — A fire erupted near the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company-operated Barakah nuclear facility on Sunday after a drone strike hit equipment outside the plant’s secured perimeter, according to officials in Abu Dhabi.
Authorities said the incident involved an electrical generator located outside the inner protection zone of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra region. Emergency teams were immediately dispatched to contain the blaze.
Officials confirmed that no casualties were reported and stressed that radiation levels remained normal throughout the incident.
The UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation said the strike did not compromise the safety of the nuclear facility or disrupt critical operational systems. All reactor units were reportedly functioning normally after the fire was extinguished.
Located roughly 200 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi near the borders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the Barakah plant began operations in 2020 and has since become a major source of electricity for the United Arab Emirates.
The nuclear facility supplies nearly one-fourth of the country’s power requirements, making it one of the Gulf region’s most strategically important energy sites.
Authorities said precautionary protocols were activated following the attack and that additional updates would be released as investigations continue.
Sourced online by Benjamin Cuaresma/ia/xf
