Iranian officials reassured the public about safety of the Bushehr Nuclear Plant after more concerns were triggered by 20 aftershocks on Sunday April 14 and 17 on Saturday the 13th.
The largest earthquake on Sunday hit Bushehr at a magnitude of 4.3 on the Richter scale.
Mohammad Ahmadian, the deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency, says concern about the plant is unfounded, reiterating that the facility can withstand earthquakes of up to 8 on the Richter scale.
He added that the Bushehr Earthquake measured 6 on the Richter scale and did not affect the plant in any way.
“The Bushehr plant has been built with the most progressive and strictest international standards,” Mohammad Ahmadian was quoted as saying on Al-Alem.
He claimed that in Fukushima, Japan, security standards had been overlooked, but at the Bushehr plant, Iranian authorities have consistently made safety their highest priority.
He added that the plant’s location had been chosen carefully and many protocols are in place to handle emergencies.
Ahmadian added that the power plant’s circumstances have been communicated to the International Atomic Energy Agency and he dismissed the concerns expressed by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council as baseless.
Yesterday, the Persian Gulf states announced their concern regarding the earthquake that struck close to the Bushehr Nuclear Plant and called for an IAEA delegation to visit the site for assurances of safety.
The IAEA announced that it has received Iran’s report and has no further concerns.
