Explosives found at nuclear plant in Sweden

An area near the entrance to the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in southern Sweden has been cordoned off following the discovery of explosive materials, Sweden's "The Local" online newspaper reported.

Kalmar police spokesperson Sven-Erik Karlsson told the TT news agency that a welder on his way to work at the plant on Wednesday morning was detained carrying a relatively small amount of a highly explosive substance.

"We understand that it isn't something he needed for the job. The man is now being held for questioning so he can explain himself," said Karlsson.

A 300 meter wide perimeter around the explosives has been blocked off and police bomb technicians from Malmo have been sent to the site, but it will be a few hours before they arrive.

According to Karlsson, the incident has not affected the nuclear plant's operation.

"There has been a bomb threat at Oskarshamn (nuclear plant). I hope to have more information about this in the next hour or hours," Vattenfall spokesman Torsten Bohl told Reuters.

Roger Bergman, a spokesperson from the Oskarshamn plant, told Svergies Radio that buildings in the vicinity of the explosives have been evacuated.

Oskarshamn is one of three nuclear plants in Sweden that meet half the country's power needs.