Nuclear power plant explosions in the world. Accidents at nuclear power plants: the largest accidents and their consequences. An explosion at the chaes was inevitable

On March 29, 2018, an accident occurred at a nuclear power plant in Romania. Although the plant operating company said the problem was related to electronics and had nothing to do with the power unit, the event brought many to mind the incidents that not only claimed lives but also caused serious environmental disasters. From this article you will find out what accidents at nuclear power plants are considered to be the largest in the history of our planet.

Cholk River nuclear power plant

The world's first major accident occurred in December 1952 in Ontario, Canada. It was the result of a technical error of the Cholk River NPP maintenance personnel, which resulted in overheating and partial melting of its core. The environment was contaminated with radioactive products. In addition, 3,800 cubic meters of water containing hazardous impurities was discharged near the Ottawa River.

Calder Hall, located in the northwest of England, was built in 1956. It became the first nuclear power plant operated in a capitalist country. On October 10, 1957, scheduled work on annealing the graphite stack was carried out there. This process was carried out to release the energy accumulated in it. Due to the lack of the necessary instrumentation, as well as errors made by the staff, the process became uncontrollable. Too powerful energy release led to the reaction of metallic uranium fuel with air. The fire started. The first signal about a tenfold increase in the radiation level at a distance of 800 m from the core was received on October 10 at 11:00.

The fuel channels were inspected 5 hours later. Experts found that part of the fuel rods (containers in which radioactive nuclei fission occurs) heated up to a temperature of 1400 ° C. Their unloading turned out to be impossible, so by evening the fire spread through the remaining channels, containing a total of about 8 tons of uranium. During the night, the staff tried to cool the core using carbon dioxide. On the morning of October 11, it was decided to flood the reactor with water. This made it possible to transfer the NPP reactor to a cold state by October 12.

Consequences of the accident at Calder Hall station

The activity of the release was mainly attributed to the radioactive isotope of iodine of artificial origin, which has a half-life of 8 days. In total, according to the calculations of scientists, 20,000 curies got into the environment. The long-term contamination was due to the presence of 800 curies radioactive cesium outside the reactor.

Fortunately, none of the personnel received a critical dose of radiation and there were no casualties.

Leningrad NPP

Accidents do not happen much more often than we think. Fortunately, most of them are not associated with the release of such a quantity of radioactive substances into the atmosphere as to pose a serious danger to human health and the environment.

In particular, at the Leningrad nuclear power plant, which has been operating since 1873 (construction began in 1967), there have been many accidents over the past 40 years. The most serious of these was an emergency situation that occurred on November 30, 1975. It was caused by the destruction of the fuel channel and led to radioactive releases. This accident at a nuclear power plant, located just 70 km from the historic center of St. Petersburg, highlighted the design flaws of the Soviet RBMK reactors. However, the lesson was in vain. Subsequently, many experts called the disaster at the Leningrad nuclear power plant the forerunner of the accident at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl.

This nuclear power plant, located in the US state of Pennsylvania, was launched in 1974. Five years later, one of the most serious events in US history took place there.

The accident at the nuclear power plant on Three Mile Island was caused by a combination of several factors: technical malfunctions, violations of operating and maintenance rules, and personnel errors.

As a result of all of the above, the core of the nuclear reactor was damaged, including part of the uranium fuel rods. In general, about 45% of its components have melted.

Evacuation

On March 30-31, panic began among residents of the surrounding settlements. They began to leave with whole families. The state authorities have decided to evacuate people living within a 35 km radius of the nuclear power plant.

Panic was fueled by the fact that this accident at a nuclear power plant in the United States coincided with the screening of the film "China Syndrome" in cinemas. The picture told about the disaster at a fictional nuclear power plant, which the authorities are trying to hide from the population with all their might.

Effects

Fortunately, this accident did not result in a meltdown of the reactor and / or release of a catastrophic amount of radioactive substances into the atmosphere. The safety system was triggered, which was a containment, in which the reactor was enclosed.

As a result of the accident, no one was seriously injured, and no one was killed. The release of radioactive particles was considered insignificant. Nevertheless, this accident caused a wide resonance in American society.

An anti-nuclear campaign has begun in the United States. Under the onslaught of its activists, over time, the authorities had to abandon the construction of new power units. In particular, 50 of the nuclear power facilities under construction in the United States at that time were mothballed.

Elimination of consequences

It took 24 years and US $ 975 million to complete the elimination of the consequences of the accident. This was 3 times the insurance coverage. Specialists decontaminated the working rooms and the territory of the nuclear power plant, unloaded nuclear fuel from the reactor, the emergency second power unit was closed forever.

NPP Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux (France)

This nuclear power plant, located on the banks of the Loire, 30 km from Orleans, was commissioned in 1969. The accident occurred in March 1980 at the 2nd unit of the nuclear power plant, with a capacity of 500 MW, operating on natural uranium.

At 17:40 the reactor of the station was automatically "cut out" due to a sharp increase in radioactivity. As it was subsequently found out by experts and IAEA inspectors, the corrosion of the structure of the fuel channels led to the melting of 2 fuel rods, which contained a total of 20 kg of uranium.

Effects

It took 2 years 5 months to clean up the reactor. To carry out this work, 500 people were involved.

The SLA-2 emergency unit was restored and returned to service only in 1983. However, its capacity was limited to 450 MW. The block was finally closed in 1992, since the operation of this facility was recognized as economically inexpedient and constantly became the reason for protests by representatives of French environmental movements.

The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986

The nuclear power plant, located in the city of Pripyat, located on the border of the Ukrainian and Byelorussian SSR, began operating in 1970.

Years late at night at the 4th power unit there was a powerful explosion that completely destroyed the reactor. As a result, the power unit building and the roof of the turbine hall were partially destroyed. There were about three dozen fire centers. The largest of them were on the roof of the turbine hall and the reactor room. Both by 2 hours 30 minutes were suppressed by firefighters. By morning, there were no fires left.

Effects

As a result of the Chernobyl accident, up to 380 million curies of radioactive substances were released.

During the explosion at the 4th power unit of the station, one person died, another NPP employee died in the morning after the accident from his injuries. The next day, 104 victims were evacuated to hospital No. 6 in Moscow. Subsequently, 134 employees of the station, as well as some members of the rescue and fire brigades, were diagnosed with radiation sickness. Of these, 28 died in the following months.

On April 27, the entire population of the city of Pripyat was evacuated, as well as residents of settlements located in the 10-kilometer zone. Then the exclusion zone was increased to 30 km.

On October 2 of the same year, the construction of the city of Slavutich began, in which the families of the employees of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were resettled.

Further work to mitigate the dangerous situation in the Chernobyl disaster area

On April 26, a fire broke out again in different parts of the central hall of the emergency unit. Due to the severe radiation situation, its suppression by standard means was not carried out. Helicopter technology was used to eliminate the fire.

A government commission was created. The bulk of the work was completed during 1986-1987. In total, over 240,000 servicemen and civilians took part in the elimination of the consequences of the accident at the nuclear power plant in Pripyat.

In the first days after the accident, the main efforts were made to reduce radioactive emissions and prevent the aggravation of an already dangerous radiation situation.

Conservation

It was decided to bury the destroyed reactor. This was preceded by the cleaning of the NPP territory. Then the debris from the roof of the turbine hall was removed inside the sarcophagus or poured with concrete.

At the next stage of work, a concrete "sarcophagus" was erected around the 4th block. To create it, 400,000 cubic meters of concrete were used, and 7,000 tons of metal structures were also installed.

Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in Japan

This massive disaster happened in 2011. The accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant became the second after Chernobyl, which was assigned the 7th level on the international scale of nuclear events.

The uniqueness of this accident lies in the fact that it was preceded by an earthquake, recognized as the strongest in the history of Japan, and a devastating tsunami.

At the moment of the tremors, the power units of the station were automatically stopped. However, the ensuing tsunami, accompanied by giant waves and strong winds, led to a power outage at the nuclear power plant. In this situation, the steam pressure began to rise sharply in all reactors, since the cooling system was turned off.

On the morning of May 12, a strong explosion took place at the 1st power unit of the nuclear power plant. Radiation levels immediately rose sharply. On March 14, the same happened at the 3rd power unit, and the next day - at the second. All personnel were evacuated from the nuclear power plant. There were only 50 engineers left, who volunteered to take action to prevent a more serious disaster. Later, they were joined by another 130 soldiers of the self-defense forces and firefighters, as white smoke appeared over the 4th block, and there were fears that a fire had started there.

Around the world, concern has arisen about the consequences of the accident in Japan at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

On April 11, the nuclear power plant was shaken by another 7-point earthquake. The power supply was cut off again, but this did not create additional problems.

In mid-December, 3 problematic reactors were brought to a cold shutdown state. However, in 2013, there was a serious leak of radioactive substances at the station.

At the moment, according to the statement of Japanese experts, in the vicinity of Fukushima, the radiation background has become equal to the natural one. However, it remains to be seen what the consequences of the accident at the nuclear power plant will be for the health of future generations of Japanese, as well as representatives of the Pacific flora and fauna.

Accident at a nuclear power plant in Romania

Now let's return to the information with which this article began. The accident in Romania at the nuclear power plant was the result of a malfunction in the electrical system. The incident did not have any negative impact on the health of the NPP personnel and residents of nearby settlements. However, this is already the second emergency at the Cernavoda station. On March 25, the 1st unit was disconnected there, and the 2nd worked only at 55% of its capacity. This situation has caused concern and the Prime Minister of Romania, who instructed to investigate these incidents.

Now you know the most serious disasters at nuclear power plants in the history of mankind. It is hoped that this list will not be replenished, and it will never again include a description of any accident at a nuclear power plant in Russia.

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake struck Japan with a magnitude of 9.0 on the Richter scale, leading to a devastating tsunami. In one of the most affected regions, there was the Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant, at which, 2 days after the earthquake, an explosion occurred. This accident was called the largest since the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986.

In this issue we will look back and recall 11 of the largest nuclear accidents and disasters in recent history.

(11 photos total)

1. Chernobyl, Ukraine (1986)

On April 26, 1986, the reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded, leading to the worst radiation pollution in history. A radiation cloud hit the atmosphere 400 times more than during the bombing of Hiroshima. The cloud passed over the western part of the Soviet Union, and also affected Eastern, Northern and Western Europe.
The explosion of the reactor killed fifty people, but the number of people who were in the path of the radioactive cloud remains unknown. A report from the World Atomic Association (http://world-nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.html) mentions more than a million people who may have been exposed to radiation. However, it is unlikely that it will ever be possible to establish the full scale of the disaster.
Photo: Laski Diffusion | Getty Images

2. Tokaimura, Japan (1999)

Until March 2011, the most serious incident in Japanese history was the accident at the uranium facility in Tokaimura on September 30, 1999. Three workers tried to mix nitric acid and uranium to produce uranyl nitrate. However, unknowingly, the workers took seven times the allowed amount of uranium, and the reactor did not keep the solution from reaching critical mass.
Three workers received strong gamma and neutron irradiation, from which, subsequently, two of them died. Seventy other workers also received high doses of radiation. After investigating the incident, the IAEA said the incident was caused by "human error and serious disregard for safety principles."
Photo: AP

3. The accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, Pennsylvania

On March 28, 1979, the largest accident in the history of the United States occurred at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. The cooling system did not work, which caused a partial melting of the reactor's nuclear fuel elements, however, complete melting was avoided, and the catastrophe did not occur. However, despite the favorable outcome and the fact that more than three decades have passed, the incident still remains in the memory of those who were present at it.

The consequences of this incident for the American nuclear industry were colossal. The accident forced many Americans to reconsider their minds about the use of atomic energy, and the construction of new reactors, which has steadily increased since the 1960s, has slowed significantly. In just 4 years, more than 50 plans for the construction of nuclear power plants were canceled, and from 1980 to 1998, many ongoing projects were canceled.

4. Goiânia, Brazil (1987)

One of the worst cases of radiation contamination of the area happened in the city of Goiânia in Brazil. The Institute for Radiation Therapy moved, leaving a radiotherapy unit in the old premises, which still contained cesium chloride.

On September 13, 1987, two looters found the installation, removed it from the hospital grounds and sold it to a landfill. The landfill owner invited relatives and friends to look at the substance glowing with blue light. All of them then dispersed around the city and began to infect their friends and relatives with radiation.

The total number of infected was 245 people, and four of them died. According to Eliana Amaral of the IAEA, this tragedy still had a positive consequence: “Before the incident in 1987, no one knew that radiation sources must be monitored from the moment of their creation and then until disposal, as well as to prevent any contact with the civilian population. This incident contributed to the emergence of such considerations. "

5.K-19, Atlantic Ocean (1961)

On July 4, 1961, the Soviet submarine K-19 was in the North Atlantic Ocean when a reactor leak was noticed on it. There was no reactor cooling system and, having no other options, the team members entered the reactor compartment and repaired the leak with their own hands, exposing themselves to radiation doses incompatible with life. All eight crew members who repaired the reactor leak died within 3 weeks of the accident.

The rest of the crew, the boat itself and the ballistic missiles on it were also exposed to radiation. When the K-19 met with the boat, which received their distress signal, it was towed to the base. Then, during the repair, which lasted 2 years, the surrounding area was contaminated, and the workers of the dock also received radiation. In the next few years, another 20 crew members died from radiation sickness.

6. Kyshtym, Russia (1957)

At the Mayak chemical plant near the town of Kyshtym, containers for radioactive waste were stored, and as a result of a failure in the cooling system, an explosion occurred, due to which about 500 km of the surrounding area were exposed to radiation.

Initially, the Soviet government did not disclose the details of the incident, but a week later they had no choice. 10 thousand people were evacuated from the area where symptoms of radiation sickness have already begun to appear. Although the USSR declined to divulge details, the journal Radiation and Environmental Biophysics estimates that at least 200 people have died from radiation. The Soviet government finally declassified all information about the accident in 1990.

7. Windscale, England (1957)

October 10, 1957 Windscale became the site of the worst atomic accident in British history and the worst in the world before the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant 22 years later. The Windscale complex was built to produce plutonium, but when the United States created a tritium-fueled atomic bomb, the complex was converted to produce tritium for the UK. However, this required the reactor to operate at higher temperatures than those for which it was originally designed. As a result, a fire broke out.

At first, the operators did not want to extinguish the reactor with water due to the threat of an explosion, but in the end they surrendered and flooded it. The fire was extinguished, but a huge amount of radiation-contaminated water was released into the environment. Research in 2007 showed that this surge led to more than 200 cases of cancer in the surrounding area.

Photo: George Freston | Hulton Archive | Getty Images

8.SL-1, Idaho (1961)

The stationary low-power reactor number 1, or SL-1, was located in the desert 65 km from the town of Idaho Falls, Idaho. On January 3, 1961, the reactor exploded, killing 3 workers and causing the fuel cells to melt. The reason was an incorrectly removed reactor power control rod, but even 2 years of investigation did not give an idea of ​​the actions of the personnel until the moment of the accident.

Although the reactor released radioactive materials into the atmosphere, there were few of them and its remote location minimized the damage to the population. Yet, this incident is known for being the only reactor accident in US history that claimed lives. Also, the incident led to an improvement in the structure of nuclear reactors, and now one rod for regulating the power of the reactor will not be able to cause such damage.
Photo: United States Department of Energy

9. North Star Bay, Greenland (1968)

On January 21, 1968, a US Air Force B-52 bomber flew as part of Operation Chrome Dome, a Cold War operation in which American nuclear-powered bombers were airborne at all times, ready to strike targets in the Soviet Union. A bomber carrying four hydrogen bombs on a combat mission caught fire. The next emergency landing could be made at Thule airbase in Greenland, but there was no time to land, and the team left the burning plane.

When the bomber fell, the nuclear warheads detonated, contaminating the area. In the March 2009 issue of Time magazine, it was said that this is one of the worst atomic disasters of all time. The incident prompted the immediate closure of the Chromium Dome program and the development of more stable explosives.
Photo: U.S. Air force

10. Jaslovske Bohunice, Czechoslovakia (1977)

The nuclear power plant in Bohunice was the very first in Czechoslovakia. The reactor was an experimental design to run on uranium mined in Czechoslovakia. Despite this, there were many accidents at the first of its kind complex, and it had to be closed more than 30 times.

Two workers died in 1976, but the worst accident occurred on February 22, 1977, when a worker incorrectly removed the reactor power control rod during a routine fuel change. This simple mistake caused a large-scale reactor leak and as a result, the incident earned 4 levels on the International Nuclear Event Scale from 1 to 7.

The Soviet government covered up the incident, so nothing is known about the victims. However, in 1979 the government of socialist Czechoslovakia decommissioned the station. It is expected to be disassembled by 2033.
Photo: www.chv-praha.cz

11. Yucca Flat, Nevada (1970)

Yucca Flat is an hour's drive from Las Vegas and is one of Nevada's nuclear test sites. On December 18, 1970, during the detonation of a 10 kiloton atomic bomb buried at a depth of 275 meters underground, the plate holding the explosion from the surface cracked, and a column of radioactive fallout rose into the air, as a result of which 86 people who took part in the tests were irradiated.

In addition to the fact that radiation fell in the district, it was also carried to the north of Nevada, to the states of Idaho and California, as well as to the eastern parts of the states of Oregon and Washington. It also appears to have drifted into the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. In 1974, two specialists who were present at the explosion died of leukemia.

Photo: National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) was built in the eastern part of the Belarusian-Ukrainian Polesye in the north of Ukraine, 11 km from the modern border with the Republic of Belarus, on the banks of the Pripyat River.

The first stage of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (the first and second power units with RBMK-1000 reactors) was built in 1970-1977, the second stage (the third and fourth power units with similar reactors) was built on the same site by the end of 1983.

The construction of the third stage of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with the fifth and sixth power units was started in 1981, but was stopped at a high degree of readiness after the disaster.

The design capacity of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after the complete completion of construction was supposed to be 6,000 MW; by April 1986, 4 power units with a total electrical capacity of 4,000 MW were involved. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was considered one of the most powerful in the USSR and in the world.

The first nuclear power plant in Ukraine at Chernobyl. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vasily Litosh

In 1970, a new city was founded for the employees of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and their family members, called Pripyat.

The estimated population of the city was 75-78 thousand inhabitants. The city grew at a rapid pace, and by November 1985 had a population of 47,500, with an annual population growth of 1,500. The average age of the inhabitants of the city was 26 years, representatives of more than 25 nationalities lived in Pripyat.

Employees of the Chernobyl Power Plant take up a new shift. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vasily Litosh

April 25, 1986, 1:00. Work has begun on the shutdown for scheduled preventive maintenance of the 4th power unit of the station. During such stops, various equipment tests are carried out, both routine and non-standard, carried out according to separate programs. This shutdown involved testing the so-called "turbine generator rotor run-out" mode proposed by the general designer (Gidroproekt Institute) as an additional emergency power supply system.

3:47 The thermal power of the reactor has been reduced by 50 percent. The tests were to be carried out at a power level of 22-31%.

13:05 Turbine generator No. 7, which is part of the system of the 4th power unit, is disconnected from the network. The power supply for own needs was transferred to the turbine generator No. 8.

14:00 In accordance with the program, the emergency cooling system of the reactor was turned off. However, a further decrease in power was prohibited by the dispatcher Kyivenergo, as a result of which the 4th power unit worked for several hours with the emergency cooling system of the reactor turned off.

23:10 The dispatcher Kyivenergo gives permission to further reduce the reactor power.

Inside the control room of the power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the city of Pripyat. Photo: RIA Novosti

April 26, 1986, 0:28. When switching from a local automatic control system (LAR) to an automatic total power regulator (AR), the operator could not keep the reactor power at a given level, and the thermal power fell to the level of 30 MW.

1:00 The NPP personnel managed to increase the reactor power and stabilize it at the level of 200 MW instead of the 700-1000 MW set in the test program.

Dosimetrist Igor Akimov. Photo: RIA Novosti / Igor Kostin

1:03-1:07 Two more were additionally connected to the six operating main circulation pumps in order to increase the reliability of cooling the core of the apparatus after the tests.

1:19 Due to a drop in the water level, the station operator increased the supply of condensate (feed water). In addition, in violation of the instructions, the reactor shutdown systems were blocked by signals of insufficient water level and steam pressure. The last manual control rods were removed from the core, which made it possible to manually control the processes taking place in the reactor.

1:22-1:23 The water level has stabilized. The station staff received a printout of the reactor's parameters, which showed that the reactivity margin was dangerously small (which, again, according to the instructions, meant that the reactor needed to be shut down). The NPP personnel decided that it was possible to continue working with the reactor and conduct research. At the same time, the thermal power began to increase.

1:23.04 The operator closed the stop and control valves of the turbine generator No. 8. The steam supply to it was stopped. The "coasting mode" began, that is, the active part of the planned experiment.

1:23.38 The shift supervisor of the 4th power unit, realizing the danger of the situation, gave the command to the senior reactor control engineer to press the emergency shutdown button of the A3-5 reactor. At the signal of this button, emergency protection rods were to be introduced into the core, but they could not be lowered to the end - the steam pressure in the reactor held them at a height of 2 meters (the height of the reactor was 7 meters). Thermal power continued to grow rapidly, and self-acceleration of the reactor began.

The machine room of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vasily Litosh

1:23.44-1:23.47 There were two powerful explosions, as a result of which the reactor of the 4th power unit was completely destroyed. The walls and ceilings of the turbine hall were also destroyed, and fires appeared. Employees started to leave their jobs.

The explosion killed pump operator MCP (Main Circulation Pump) Valeriy Khodemchuk... His body, littered with the debris of two 130-ton drum separators, was never found.

As a result of the destruction of the reactor, a huge amount of radioactive substances were released into the atmosphere.

Helicopters are decontaminating the buildings of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after the accident. Photo: RIA Novosti / Igor Kostin

1:24 The control panel of the militarized fire brigade No. 2 for the protection of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant received a signal about a fire. A guard of the fire department drove to the station, which led Lieutenant of the Internal Service Vladimir Pravik... A guard of the 6th city fire department, which headed Lieutenant Viktor Kibenok... He took over the leadership of extinguishing the fire Major Leonid Telyatnikov... From the means of protection, the firefighters had only a canvas robe, mittens, a helmet, as a result of which they received a huge dose of radiation.

2:00 Firefighters begin to show signs of strong radiation exposure - weakness, vomiting, "nuclear sunburn". They were helped on the spot, in the station's first-aid post, after which they were transported to MSCh-126.

Work is underway to decontaminate the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vitaly Ankov

4:00 Firefighters managed to localize the fire on the roof of the turbine room, preventing it from spreading to the third power unit.

6:00 The fire at the 4th power unit is completely extinguished. At the same time in the Pripyat medical unit, the second victim of the explosion died, commissioning plant employee Vladimir Shashenok... The cause of death was a fracture of the spine and numerous burns.

9:00-12:00 A decision was made to evacuate to Moscow the first group of employees of the station and firefighters who suffered from strong radiation. In total, 134 Chernobyl employees and members of the rescue teams who were at the station at the time of the explosion developed radiation sickness, 28 of whom died over the next few months. 23-year-old lieutenants Vladimir Pravik and Viktor Kibenok died in Moscow on May 11, 1986.

15:00 It has been reliably established that the reactor of the 4th power unit was destroyed, and a huge amount of radioactive substances enters the atmosphere.

23:00 The government commission to investigate the causes and liquidation of the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant decides to prepare transport for the evacuation of the population of the city of Pripyat and other facilities located in the immediate vicinity of the accident site.

View of the sarcophagus of the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the abandoned city of Pripyat. Photo: RIA Novosti / Erastov

April 27, 1986, 2:00. 1225 buses and 360 trucks are concentrated in the area of ​​the Chernobyl settlement. At the Yanov railway station, two diesel trains with 1,500 seats have been prepared.

7:00 The government commission makes the final decision on the beginning of the evacuation of the civilian population from the danger zone.

The helicopter makes radiological measurements over the building of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after the disaster. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vitaly Ankov

13:10 The local radio station in Pripyat starts broadcasting the following message: “Attention, dear comrades! The City Council of People's Deputies reports that in connection with the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the city of Pripyat, an unfavorable radiation situation is developing. The necessary measures are being taken by party and Soviet bodies and military units. However, in order to ensure the complete safety of people, and, first of all, children, it becomes necessary to temporarily evacuate the residents of the city to the nearby settlements of the Kiev region. For this purpose, buses, accompanied by police officers and representatives of the city executive committee, will be delivered to each residential building today, on the twenty-seventh of April, starting at 14:00. It is recommended that you bring your documents, urgently needed things, and, in the first case, food. The heads of enterprises and institutions have determined the circle of workers who remain in place to ensure the normal functioning of the city's enterprises. All residential buildings will be guarded by police officers during the evacuation period. Comrades, while temporarily leaving your home, please do not forget to close the windows, turn off electrical and gas appliances, and turn off the water taps. We ask you to be calm, orderly and orderly during the temporary evacuation. "

Chernobyl disaster. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant shocked the whole world, including its consequences.

If many people think that the Chernobyl accident immediately claimed many lives, then this is not so. During the explosion itself, one operator died, the remains of which are still buried under the rubble, and the second died from injuries and burns already in the hospital.

When Chernobyl exploded, there were several blows (most eyewitnesses claim that there were two explosions), the exact time is 04/26/1986 at 01:23:47 (Saturday).

The reactor was destroyed in just three minutes.

Already after the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and after the liquidation works, 31 people died within 3 months (due to radiation), employed in the first hours of eliminating the fire.

As a result, more than half a million people were involved in the liquidation work. The Chernobyl accident claimed the lives of up to 80,000 people due to distant radiation exposure.

134 of them had an acute stage of radiation sickness (these are the first people to come to the call).

What is Chernobyl

The city got its name thanks to the wormwood, in ancient times it was called the Chernobyl disaster.

Now, due to environmental conditions (rain, wind, etc.), as well as as a result of the activities of people on earth, it has significantly decreased.

After the lapse of time, radioactive substances have already entered the ground and enter agricultural products through the root system.

The danger is posed by berries, mushrooms and in forests, because cesium is recycled there and, as a result, it is not excreted. However, the fish is not dangerous.

Many are interested in the mutation after the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Research has shown that it continues, but not to a significant extent.

The absence of man and his influence on nature had a beneficial effect on the ecosystem. Now the flora and fauna there are fragrant, the populations of animals and plants have increased.

31 years after the incident, people are still wondering what happened in Chernobyl. After all, this accident has surpassed and.

Although it is worth noting that these are still different accidents and incidents.