MOSCOW, Dec. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- An explosion hit a smelter at a Russian nuclear power plant outside the northern city of St. Petersburg, severely injuring three people, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported Friday.

    But radiation levels were normal.

    The blast hit a smelter on the territory of the second unit of the Leningrad nuclear power plant at about 3:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Thursday and three people were injured in the blast, RIA-Novosti quoted an official of the state nuclear agency, Rosenergoatom, as saying.

    He added the second unit has been closed since July and radiation levels were normal.

    But RIA-Novosti also reported the Emergency Situations Ministry rejected the report, saying the blast happened at a radiation technology company, Ecomet, in the industrial zone of the nearby city of Sosnovy Bor.

    A ministry spokesman did confirm, though, that three people had been seriously injured and rushed to the hospital. Enditem