The debate over the Chernobyl nuclear plant has once again intensified amid the Russia-Ukraine Crisis. After the Russian occupation of Chernobyl, discussions continue about its history. Meanwhile, experts say that there is more radiation than normal at this time. The Chernobyl plant has been taken over by the Russian military.
There was a terrible accident in the nuclear plant on 26 April 1986, after which this plant was completely destroyed. Even after many years of scientific research and government investigation, many questions about the Chernobyl disaster remain unanswered, especially the long-term health effects of humans.
The city of Pripyat was established in 1970, being the nearest town to the power plant and only 2 miles away, and in 1986 about 50,000 people lived here. Chernobyl, a small and old town, was located about 9 miles away and was home to about 12,000 people. Also there were mainly farms.
According to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Nuclear Radiation (UNSCEAR), the explosion occurred during routine maintenance checks on April 26, 1986. Operators were planning to test the electrical system and went against safety regulations and shut down critical control systems. This made the reactor dangerously unstable and it reached a low power level.
Although there is still some disagreement on the actual cause of the explosion, it is generally believed that the first was caused by an excess of steam and the second was influenced by hydrogen. According to the NEA, the explosion occurred at 1:23 a.m. on 26 April, destroying reactor 4 and causing a fire. After this, poisonous smoke started spreading with the help of air. Evacuation of Pripyat began on April 27, about 36 hours after the accident. By that time, many people started complaining of vomiting, headaches and other ailments. The explosion officially resulted in the explosion of the reactor core, killing two engineers and injuring some.
Authorities sealed off an 18-mile area around the plant by May 14, evacuating 116,000 people. According to the World Nuclear Association, within the next few years, another 220,000 people were advised to move away from the area. According to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), 28 workers were killed in Chernobyl in the first four months after the accident. According to a 2018 UNSCEAR report, between 1991 and 2015, there were 20,000 cases of thyroid cancer in patients under the age of 18.