Ukraine commemorates Chernobyl nuclear disaster

Source: Bukvy

Today, Ukraine marks the 38^th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

On April 26, 1986, at 01:23 am, two explosions occurred at the fourth power unit, which completely destroyed the reactor.As a result of the explosions, the building of the power unit partially collapsed, and a fire broke out on the roof.

The remains of the active zone of the fourth reactor began to melt.

A mixture of molten metal, sand, concrete and fuel particles spread in the reactor premises. As a result of the disaster, there was a release of radioactive substances, in particular isotopes of uranium, plutonium, iodine-131, cesium-134, cesium-137, strontium-90.

The situation worsened because uncontrolled nuclear and chemical reactions with the release of heat (from the burning of graphite reserves) continued in the destroyed reactor, with the eruption of radioactive elements.

It was possible to stop the active eruption of radioactive substances from the destroyed reactor only at the end of May 1986 by attracting the resources of the entire former USSR and at the cost of mass exposure of hundreds of thousands of liquidators.

8.5 million residents of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were exposed to significant radiation doses in the first days after the explosion. About half a million of them died from the effects of radiation. By the end of the summer of 1986, more than 90,000 people were evacuated from the contaminated zone, and 81 settlements in Ukraine were abandoned.

The Soviet authorities tried to hide information about the catastrophe at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. There were no official reports of the disaster for two days.