April 26 is the International Chornobyl Disaster Remembrance Day.
On this day in 1986, a nuclear disaster took place at Chornobyl nuclear power plant. The International Remembrance Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2016 in memory of Chornobyl disaster.
The tragedy had profound consequences that still affect people’s lives today, determining the further development of the nuclear industry.
The accident occurred during an experiment at 4th power unit. The explosion caused the destruction of the reactor and a fire with the release of a large amount of radiation into the atmosphere.
More than 600,000 people, including rescuers, took part in eliminating the consequences of the accident. The populations within a radius of 30 km from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant was evacuated, and a large part of the territory was contaminated with radioactive substances.
In addition, the consequences of the disaster had an impact on the world perception of nuclear energy, leading to changes in safety standards at nuclear power plants.