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Another ‘Accident’ At Iranian Nuclear Facility Forces Emergency Shutdown

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Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant was reportedly forced to shut down Sunday after the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (AEO) identified a technical defect, the Iranian Fars News Agency reported. The incident forced the power plant to be disconnected from the national electricity grid.
“It has been temporarily shutdown since yesterday for technical overhaul which will continue for a few days,” an official told state TV. It was initially reported as an “accident,” according to The Jerusalem Post.
The plant is expected to be reconnected to the country’s electricity grid later in the week, the AEO stated.
The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responsible for monitoring the power plant, according to ABC News. Bushehr is located near active fault lines and has been shaken by earthquake tremors in the past, ABC News reported. However, no major earthquake activity has been reported in the region recently.

There have been numerous fires, explosions and other accidents near Iranian nuclear facilities over the past year. A fire broke out near the Bushehr plant in May. In April, an explosion and power outage occurred at the main power plant in Natanz, the Jerusalem Post reported. Last July, an accident occurred at the Iran Centrifuge Assembly Center, in Natanz, Iran, the largest uranium enrichment facility in the country.
The latest incident comes as talks continued regarding the renewal of the Iran nuclear deal, the Jerusalem Post reported.