Former nuclear plant towers demolished in morning blasts

摘要

The two cooling towers of a former nuclear power plant in southwestern Germany were demolished early today ina pair of early-morning explosions whose timing was kept under wraps to prevent crowds from gathering duringthe coronavirus pandemic.Operator EnBW had said ahead of time only that the nearly 500-foot towers at the Philippsburg plant, nearKarlsruhe, would be brought down today or tomorrow. Today the company said they were blown up just after 6a.m. local time.Such demolitions usually attract many sightseers, but large assemblies aren't allowed now under rules aimed atpreventing the spread of COVID-19.The Philippsburg plant's two reactors were shut down in 2011 and 2019 as part of Germany's plan to exit nuclearpower. The country's last reactor is set to go offline at the end of 2022.