At 1:23 AM on April 26, 1986, what was supposed to be a routine safety test began at the Vladimir I. Lenin Nuclear Power Plant, better known as Chornobyl. Delays had already pushed the reactor into an unstable state, and a mix of operator error and design flaws set the stage for catastrophe.
Moments into the test, a massive steam explosion tore through the reactor. The core was blown apart, pipes ruptured, fuel channels shattered, and superheated water flashed instantly to steam. Almost immediately, a second, more powerful explosion, estimated at roughly 225 tons of TNT, ripped the reactor open to the night air. The exact cause of this second blast is still debated.
Burning graphite and reactor debris rained down across the site, igniting fires on nearby buildings. With the reactor exposed, air rushed in, feeding the flames and carrying radioactive material high into the atmosphere. In the worst-hit areas, radiation levels were so extreme that a lethal dose could be received in seconds.
For those inside the plant, on the turbine floor, in the reactor hall, and among the first responders, Acute Radiation Syndrome set in quickly. People reported an intense internal heat, nausea, dizziness, confusion, and even a metallic taste in their mouths. Skin reddened and burned, sometimes fading before worsening again.
Within hours, the body began to shut down.
Bone marrow and the digestive system failed. Victims became severely dehydrated, disoriented, and weak. Over the following days, immune systems collapsed, internal bleeding worsened, and organ failure set in. For the most heavily exposed, death came within weeks.
And still, people stayed. Plant engineers continued working. Firefighters arrived and climbed onto the roofs to extinguish fires threatening the other reactors.
Two men were killed in the initial explosions. Twenty-eight more died within three months from acute radiation syndrome.
If you’re interested, I cover the full story here:
by aid2000iscool
1 Comment
Terrible way to go