The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency has issued a warning about the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine and the surrounding community.

Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement Saturday that the general situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has become “increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous.”

Grossi said “the nearby town of Enerhodar,” where most of the plant staff live, is being evacuated. The operating staff, however, remains on-site at the plant.

However, the IAEA experts, based at the plant, have not been able to visit Enerhodar recently. Grossi said the experts “are continuing to hear shelling on a regular basis.”

The plant is located in southern Ukraine which, according to the statement, “has seen a recent increase in military presence and activity.”

“I’m extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant,” Grossi said. “We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment. This major nuclear facility must be protected.”
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