Chernobyl disaster
nuclear accident, Soviet Union [1986]
Also known as: Chornobyl accident
Recent News
Aug. 26, 2024, 2:21 AM ET (The Guardian)
Putin’s war is raising risk of another Chernobyl, says historian who inspired hit TV show
Top Questions
When did the Chernobyl disaster occur?
When did the Chernobyl disaster occur?
What happened in the Chernobyl disaster?
What happened in the Chernobyl disaster?
How many people died as a result of the Chernobyl disaster?
How many people died as a result of the Chernobyl disaster?
How big was the exclusion zone created after the Chernobyl disaster?
How big was the exclusion zone created after the Chernobyl disaster?
What effects did the Chernobyl disaster have?
What effects did the Chernobyl disaster have?
Chernobyl disaster, accident in 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union, the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation. The Chernobyl power station was situated at the settlement of Pryp’yat, 10 miles (16 km) northwest of the city of Chernobyl (Ukrainian: Chornobyl) and 65 miles (104 km) north of Kyiv, Ukraine. The station consisted of four reactors, each capable of producing 1,000 megawatts of electric power; it had come online in 1977–83. The disaster occurred on April 25–26, 1986, when technicians at reactor Unit 4 attempted a poorly designed experiment. Workers shut down the ...(100 of 703 words)