Student Article
The Chernobyl Disaster: How a Nuclear Experiment Went Horribly Wrong
Turbine (noun): A machine that spins to create power.
Sarcophagus (noun): A protective shell or covering, often for burial or containment.
Fallout (noun): Radioactive particles that fall to the ground after a nuclear explosion.
Exclusion (noun): The act of keeping something or someone out of a specific area.
In the early hours of April 26, 1986, the world changed forever when Reactor Number Four at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded.
The Chernobyl disaster begins
The event was triggered by a poorly planned and poorly executed experiment aimed to see if the reactor’s turbines could generate enough electricity to run the cooling pumps in a power outage. To perform the test, operators reduced the reactor’s power and disabled critical safety mechanisms, including the automatic emergency shutdown system.
What went wrong
Despite signs of instability, they continued with the test. At 1:23 a.m., the reactor experienced a sudden power surge. Its core overheated and exploded, launching flames and radioactive material over 980 feet (about 300 meters) into the atmosphere.
The immediate aftermath
In the aftermath, a grim cover-up began. Firefighters, unaware of the extreme radiation levels, were exposed to lethal doses as they tried to control the blaze. The nearby city of Pripyat — home to 50,000 people — was not evacuated until 36 hours later, allowing residents to absorb dangerous radiation.
Containment efforts
The Soviet government initially kept the disaster secret. It wasn’t until monitoring stations in Sweden, over 620 miles away, detected high levels of radiation in the air that the incident became public knowledge. International alarm followed. By early May, emergency crews managed to contain the radiation, but only by risking the lives of countless workers who built a concrete-and-steel sarcophagus over the ruined reactor.
The long-term impact
The immediate death toll was 32, but thousands more suffered and died in the years that followed due to radiation exposure. Radioactive fallout reached as far as Russia, France, and Italy, contaminating the environment and wildlife.
The exclusion zone
To this day, a 19-mile exclusion zone surrounds the reactor site. Cancer rates increased, ecosystems were disrupted, and confidence in nuclear energy was shaken worldwide. The Chernobyl disaster remains a haunting reminder of what happens when science, politics, and safety collide.
© Jonny Wilkes / www.historyextra.com
Turbine (noun): A machine that spins to create power.
Sarcophagus (noun): A protective shell or covering, often for burial or containment.
Fallout (noun): Radioactive particles that fall to the ground after a nuclear explosion.
Exclusion (noun): The act of keeping something or someone out of a specific area.