Investigators Question Employees at Kaiga Plant

Investigators at the Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant questioned employees on Monday, a day after preliminary investigations listed “internal sabotage” as a possible cause behind the recent radioactive contamination of drinking water at the high-security facility.

Media reports attributing the information to a plant official said, the probe team, which includes nuclear scientists, questioned employees present at the plant on the night of November 23, when radioactive heavy water (tritium) vials were put in the water cooler.

The official added that the probe was being conducted by “relevant agencies” and that the “questioning is part of the investigation.”

Speaking in New Delhi, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy Prithviraj Chavan said the Government had taken the issue “very seriously” as it reflected a “breach of some security measures”.

Chavan said: “All agencies are looking into the matter. Somebody from the lab, who had access to the water cooler, had done it between 3 am and 6 am.”

Speaking of the 50 odd plant employees who were exposed to radiation after drinking water from the cooler, Chavan said: “All the people have been medicated and they have returned to work.”