Chernobyl reactor 4 and sarcophagus. Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
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On 26 April 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Soviet Ukraine exploded during a late-night safety test. A combination of reactor design flaws and serious operational errors produced an uncontrolled surge in power. The explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive material. Two workers died soon after the explosion, and dozens of firefighters and plant personnel later died from acute radiation syndrome. Authorities evacuated the nearby city of Pripyat the following day, while contamination spread across parts of Europe. The disaster exposed weaknesses in Soviet nuclear design, safety culture and secrecy. Long-term health consequences remain the subject of careful epidemiological study, with a clear increase in thyroid cancer among those exposed as children to radioactive iodine.
Comprehension questions
When did the disaster occur?
Which reactor exploded?
What caused the surge?
Which nearby city was evacuated?
What cancer clearly increased in exposed children?
