BRUSSELS, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission said Friday it had received an overnight alert from Belgium concerning a radioactive leak at the Institute National de Radio-elements (IRE) in Fleurus.

    There had been a release of gaseous Iodine-131 from this facility, said the commission, the executive body of the European Union (EU).

    The incident had been classified Level 3 on the seven-level International Nuclear Event Scale on Tuesday.

    Belgian authorities have implemented protective action on the basis of environmental sample analyses, with restrictions imposed on the consumption of local food produce -- vegetables and milk --up to a distance of 5 km.

    The commission has immediately forwarded the alert notification to all EU member states and Switzerland.