At the end of April 1986, there was a nuclear accident at the Chernobyl power plant, just under 100 km from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. The high levels of radioactivity resulted in three important effects. What is Chernobyl Accident?
First, the death of 4,000 people who participated in emergency work after the disaster . Second, the death of 50,000 people from the long-term effects of radiation. Finally, the nuclear accident was a determining factor in the demise of the Soviet Union.
The nuclear catastrophe took place during the time of Perestroika, a period when the Soviet Union was trying to modernize the communist regime.
Most historians claim that the Chernobyl accident played a prominent role in the decline of the Soviet communist system . What is Chernobyl Accident?
The energy model of the USSR had demonstrated its inefficiency and this weakness provoked a social rejection among the Ukrainians, a people who had been submissive to the Soviets for more than 60 years.
The effects of the accident are still very present even after thirty years
The toxic cloud generated after the nuclear explosion had immediate consequences for several territories like Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. And indirectly it also affected many countries in Western Europe.
Large tracts of land were affected by the explosion of the nuclear reactor, bringing dramatic consequences to the environment . Contamination affected the quality of the soil and crops and, as a result , the food chain was also altered.
Thus, in an area of 160,000 square kilometers, the inhabitants affected by the disaster are still suffering from the effects of the contamination: digestive disorders, malignant tumors, severe respiratory problems and a notable increase in cancer cases. What is Chernobyl Accident?
Likewise, cases of alteration in the DNA were detected. In addition to the physical problems, the accident had a strong psychological and emotional impact that resulted in an increase in alcoholism and mental problems. Today, unborn children continue to suffer from the devastating effects of the nuclear disaster.
a ghost town
The accident at the Chernobyl power plant occurred three kilometers from the Ukrainian city of Pripyat. Two days after the catastrophe, its 50,000 inhabitants began to evacuate from the site. What is Chernobyl Accident?
At that time, they were told that they would only leave their homes for a few days, but they never returned.
Currently, some companies organize tours so that tourists can tour a totally abandoned and ruined ghost town.