Chernobyl: What happened and Why?

Exactly 32 years ago, on April 26, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident happened
at the Chernobyl plant. An explosion and fire in the No. 4 reactor sent radioactivity into
the atmosphere.
The Chernobyl accident happened during a test to see how the plant would operate if
it lost power. Plant operators made several mistakes, creating a poisonous and
unstable environment in the reactor core. The steam likely caused an explosion in the
reactor, which, in turn, caused a second explosion seconds later.
The explosion released radioactive smoke into the atmosphere that spread over the
western Soviet Union and Europe. The radioactive release has been estimated at 400
times the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

How many people died?

The number of deaths directly caused by the Chernobyl disaster is usually estimated to
be between 31 and 56, but the long-term effects of the disaster have impacted a much
larger number of people. Various international organizations have reported on the
thousands of people in the Chernobyl area who have died from radiation-induced
cancers. Many children contracted thyroid cancer after drinking milk from cows in the
area of Chernobyl.
The Exclusion Zone remains one of the most radioactive places on Earth. Estimates of
when Chernobyl might be habitable for humans vary wildly, from a few hundred to
20,000 years.
 Chernobyl: What happened and why?
Exactly 32 years ago, explosions at the then-Soviet Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant set
off what has been described as the world's worst nuclear disaster.
The blasts released large levels of radiation into the atmosphere, forcing thousands to
flee their homes and sparking major fears over long-term health consequences and
environmental destruction.
In the decades that followed, wildlife has flourished in the area, which has become a
popular tourist attraction.

Where is Chernobyl?
The Chernobyl plant is located some 100km from Ukraine's capital, Kiev, and about
20km from the border with Belarus.
The nearest town is the now-abandoned Pripyat, which was purpose-built in 1970 to
house workers from the plant and was home to between 40,000 and 50,000 people.
At the time of the explosion, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.

What happened there?

In the early hours of April 26, 1986, one of four nuclear reactors at the plant exploded.
The explosions occurred during a test designed to check the Unit 4 reactor's cooling
functions on limited power. The power-regulating and safety systems were both shut
off before the test to avoid interruptions.
The reactor was to supposed to run at 25 percent capacity during the test but dipped
to less than one percent, forcing workers to slowly increase the power levels.
An unexpected power surge caused fuel pellets in the reactor to explode, triggering a
larger explosion that blew the 1,000-tonne roof off of the reactor.
A cloud of radioactive material was released into the atmosphere, while air mixing
with carbon monoxide gas in the reactor ignited, causing a fire that burned for nine
days.

How many people died?

The extent of the health impact of the disaster remains highly controversial as, in some
cases, it is difficult to isolate radiation as the singular cause of death or disease.
According to the World Health Organization, around five million people are currently
living in areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine with high levels of radiation.
There has been a large increase in thyroid cancer among people who were children
living in the most contaminated areas at the time of the explosion, with some 5,000
cases detected across Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. This is due to consumption of milk
from cows that grazed on pastures contaminated with radioactive iodine.

What were the environmental effects?

The explosions released 400 times more radiation than the atomic bomb dropped on
Hiroshima during the Second World War, according to the International Atomic Energy
Agency.
In 2011, the Exclusion Zone was officially declared a tourist attraction by the Ukrainian
government.
The Exclusion Zone remains one of the most radioactive places on Earth.
The site attracts thousands of visitors each year, with almost 50,000 people visiting in
2017. It has become synonymous with "dark tourism", which involves travelling to
places associated with death or suffering.
Estimates of when Chernobyl might be habitable for humans vary wildly, from a few
hundred to 20,000 years.