N. Zealand Objects to Latest French Nuclear Testing

France’s latest underground nuclear test at Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia was six times bigger than originally thought, government seismologists said Friday.

Prime Minister David Lange, whose government has banned port visits by nuclear-powered or -armed ships, condemned the French program and said France was ignoring international efforts for disarmament.

“There is absolutely no sense in continuing to add to the world’s nuclear weaponry,” he said.

The June 8 blast was the fourth in a series which began last month and the 71st since France began its underground testing program at Mururoa a decade ago. The blast was first estimated yield of one kiloton, but scientists revised the figure to six kilotons.