MOSCOW, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- A civilian was killed near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant amid Ukrainian shelling of a nearby industrial zone, the plant's operator said Saturday.

"As a result of artillery shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a fire broke out in the industrial zone. During a site inspection, a damaged civilian passenger vehicle, unrelated to the plant's operations, was discovered. To our deep regret, a deceased civilian was found inside the vehicle," the operator said in a post on social media Telegram.

While firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, a fire truck was targeted by a Ukrainian drone, according to the post.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement that its experts stationed at the power plant heard explosions and observed smoke on Saturday coming from a location 1.2 kilometers from the plant's site perimeter.

"Once again, I call for maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities to prevent the continued risk of a nuclear accident," said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in southern Ukraine, is Europe's largest nuclear power facility. ■