Broadcaster RTL said earlier there were five to seven people in the plant at the time of the blast and police said ‘several’ were missing. But police said later all workers are accounted for, according to news agency ANP.

Locals report hearing a very loud bang at around 07.00 hours this morning followed by a loud hissing sound. According to a spokesman for Electrabel, there was an explosion in one of the boilers, which blasted a hole in the side, releasing steam.

It is not clear if there are any dangerous elements in the steam, RTL said.

Emergency services

The area around the plant has been closed off and the emergency services are at the scene. Smoke and steam are still emerging from the building and several windows have been broken.

Locals have been told to close their windows and doors and traffic in Nijmegen has ground to a halt, RTL said.

© DutchNews.nl