Chernobyl Accident in 1986
The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. (World Nuclear Association,2015)
The resulting steam explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere and downwind. (World Nuclear Association,2015)
Two Chernobyl plant workers died on the night of the accident, and a further 28 people died within a few weeks as a result of acute radiation poisoning. (World Nuclear Association,2015)
UNSCEAR(United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) says that apart from increased thyroid cancers, "there is no evidence of a major public health impact attributable to radiation exposure 20 years after the accident."(World Nuclear Association,2015)
Resettlement of areas from which people were relocated is ongoing. In 2011 Chernobyl was officially declared a tourist attraction. (World Nuclear Association,2015)