Employees Sick at Indian Nuclear Plant, Sabotage Suspected

Sabotage is suspected at an Indian nuclear power plant, with 55 workers contaminated by radioactivity. Photo by gov.in

Workers at the Kaiga nuclear plant in the southern Indian state of Karnakata have been massively exposed to radiation in contaminated drinking water.

Site officials suspect sabotage, India's Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar has announced on Sunday.

The Kaiga plant director added that "mischief is not ruled out. Investigations are ongoing", commenting that the sabotage might have been carried out by a disgruntled employee.

An initial probe had failed to reveal any violation of operating procedures or “radioactivity releases” or any security breach, according to official statements.

Fifty-five workers at the nuclear plant needed medical treatment for excessive exposure to radiation after tritium contaminated a water cooler.

Tritium, also known as Hydrogen-3, is used in research, fusion reactors and neutron generators.

The water cooler has now been  "isolated and put out of use," according to the company’s web site.

India has a total of 11 nuclear reactors across the country. The Kaiga plant went into commission in September 1999. A new reactor on the same site is due to begin production in 2010.

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