Radiation safety

Armed gang raids convoy carrying uranium fuel to Brazil nuclear plant

A truck carrying nuclear fuel to one of Brazil's power plants has come under attack by a group of armed men who engaged in a shootout with police officers guarding the convoy.

The uranium shipment came under attack on Tuesday in the town of Frade, about 30 km (19 miles) from Angra dos Reis, where the Angra 2 nuclear power plant is located. Following an intense fire exchange with the gunmen, the officers, none of whom were injured, managed to thwart the assault, police said.

Eletronuclear, the Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras SA subsidiary that manages the Angra 2 nuclear plant, emphasized that the incident did not cause any delays to the uranium delivery. The company also cast doubt that the attackers intended to hijack the cargo, claiming that local criminal turf battles could be to blame – and that the convoy was caught in the middle of the shootout.