Exactly 36 years ago, the world was shaken by a devastating nuclear accident. Fortunately, Chernobyl has been in the headlines recently because of the Russian invasion.
Marika Harjumaa,
Terhi Liimu,
Marja Väänänen
Today marks 36 years since the worst nuclear accident in history. The four reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded and spread nuclear pollution widely to Eastern European countries.
Some of the soils in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia are still so polluted that those who travel with it are exposed to dangerous amounts of radiation.
Tens of thousands were forced to leave their homes. The town of Prypyat next to the power plant was evacuated, and time seems to have stopped there. Houses are deteriorating and nature is going wild, but otherwise nothing has changed.
The accident immediately killed 31 people. Various estimates have been made of the number of deaths since the accident. It is possible that over the years, as many as 115,000 people have died from diseases caused by radioactive radiation from the blast.
The nuclear power plant and the city of Prypyat have been popular tourist destinations. Trips to the area are also arranged from Finland.
Well, Chernobyl rose again after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Russians took over the nuclear power plant and held its personnel hostage.
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant no longer produces electricity, but there are a couple of thousand people at work there. Their job is to make sure that there are no more accidents at the power plant.
The area of the accident has allowed the animals to live and reproduce freely. Horses have also been brought there for research purposes.
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