In 1986, dozens died after the reactor explosion at the nuclear plant, and thousands more were sickened by radioactive releases. This was the worst nuclear accident in history.
The people of Ukraine recently observed a grim day: the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. In 1986, dozens died after the reactor explosion at the nuclear plant. Thousands more were sickened by the radioactive releases.
To honor the plant workers and firefighters who lost their lives in the accident, people lit candles, laid flowers, and prayed during last night's ceremony.
According to “Midnight in Chernobyl” author Adam Higginbotham, the Chernobyl accident was the worst nuclear accident in history. He states, “And the scale of the accident, the number of people whose lives were turned over, destroyed or otherwise ruined by the accident kind of dwarfs that of any other nuclear accident.”
Today, the ruins of the power station and the nearby ghost town of Pripyat are popular with tourists. And Ukraine hopes to turn the area into a UNESCO World Heritage site. If done, it would help protect the site and allow for even more tourism.
But for those who live near Chernobyl, the accident is something they wish they didn’t have to remember.
