Episode 15: Chernobyl

The Chernobyl disaster took place on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR. The explosion was caused by a sudden surge of power during a poorly executed reactor systems test. Ultimately, it was a series of compounded human mistakes which led to a chain reaction that destroyed reactor Unit 4. “Several explosions triggered a large fireball and blew off the heavy steel and concrete lid of the reactor. This and the ensuing fire in the graphite reactor core released large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere, where it was carried great distances by air currents. A partial meltdown of the core also occurred.” The accident and the fire that followed released massive amounts of radioactive material into the environment. It remains the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation. 

Further Reading

International Atomic Energy Agency. "Frequently Asked Chernobyl Questions." IAEA website.

Kasradze, Anna. "Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy." The Moscow Times, 8 June 2019.

Whipple, Madison. "A Generation Later, What Does Chernobyl Look Like Today?" The Collector. 19 May 2023.