Nuclear facilities in China that were jolted by a massive earthquake are safe, a military official said Sunday.
China's nuclear safety agency ordered staff to be on standby in case of an environmental emergency following last week's magnitude 7.9 quake that rocked Sichuan province, home of several key atomic sites.
Military police and soldiers from the People's Liberation Army were sent in to protect the facilities, said air force Maj. Gen. Ma Jian of the PLA's high command.
"I can say responsibly that they are all safe," he said at a news conference in Beijing. He did not give any details, such as which sites were affected or whether any were damaged.
China has a research reactor, two nuclear fuel production sites and two atomic weapons sites in Sichuan, according to a French nuclear watchdog. All were 40 to 90 miles (60 to 145 kilometers) from the epicenter.
The French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety said China reported "light damage" to unspecified nuclear facilities that were being dismantled before the quake.
Thierry Charles, the group's director of plant safety, said Chinese authorities immediately shut down nuclear sites for inspection. There were no reported leaks of radioactivity, he said.
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