IAEA says cause of fire at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remains unknown

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said late on Tuesday that evidence continues to indicate that Monday's fire at the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine did not start at the base of the cooling tower or by a foreign object.

"The evidence gathered reinforces our conclusion that the main fire seems unlikely to be at the base of the cooling tower," the IAEA cited its head, Rafael Mariano Grossi, as saying in a statement.

It said "foreign objects or materials were visible" in the damaged tower.

The Russian management of the plant told the IAEA that the tower may need to be dismantled, the IAEA said.

Reuters