April 26, 1986: Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster
During a test of Reactor number four on April 26, 1986, engineers lost control of the Chernobyl Power Plant, resulting in a series of explosions and fires.
Chernobyl is widely considered to be the worst nuclear plant accident in history. The meltdown was given the highest rating on the International Nuclear Event Scale, Level 7.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011 is the only other event to receive a Level 7 rating.
Twenty-six years after the Chernobyl disaster, radiation levels continue to be unsafe in areas surrounding the plant, and meltdown-related environmental and health effects in the region persist.
Infographic: It’s estimated that Chernobyl’s nuclear meltdown released about 400 times more radiation than the Hiroshima bomb. However, it’s important to note that the immediate death toll was far greater for Hiroshima, since Hiroshima was a densely-populated city.
Source: to.pbs.org
