RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

30 Years since the Chernobyl Disaster

30 years ago, the world witnessed the worst nuclear accdient in recorded history.

30 Years since the Chernobyl Disaster
30 Years since the Chernobyl Disaster

, 26.04.2016, 13:56

April 26th
1986 was a black day in the history of mankind
– the Ukrainian city of Pripyat became the site of the biggest nuclear
accident ever, whose outcome, experts believe, will be felt in the following
3,000 years as well. Ironically, disaster struck during a safety test at the
plant’s reactor four that went awry. A wrong procedure caused an exponentially
larger spike in power output, which ignited the reactor’s graphite moderator.
The resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the
atmosphere and, according to estimates, 17 million square kilometers in
Belarus, Russia and Ukraine were contaminated.

Experts believe the most
affected countries by the accident were Norway, Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria,
Romania and Greece. Romanian Adrian Parvu was born with a malformation which
the doctors believe could have been caused by the accident in Chernobyl. He is
currently working on a project entitled Born In April about how the
nuclear disaster in Ukraine has influenced people’s lives. His project was run
at a workshop organized by One World Romania. Adrian Parvu, who has done
research on the events in Chernobyl for his project has told Radio Romania that
the radioactivity levels differ depending on the region.


Adrian Parvu: Radioactivity level
varies according to the region. An exclusion area was set up around the plant
shortly after the accident. It’s also been known as the 30 kilometers zone.
There are a few thousand hectares of radioactive land there, though the soil absorbed most of the radiation
after the accident. The most dangerous area is 14 kilometers around the plant,
where radioactivity is higher and it’s not recommended to live there. However,
few know that 3000 people are working in this death zone in shifts on a daily
basis. They are doing maintenance work because the power plant in Chernobyl has
created problems people will have to deal with for hundreds of years from now.


Adrian Parvu says that a pressing issue is the sarcophagus
built around the plant, which might collapse.


The sarcophagus was built
in a hurry in order to block radiation and now it runs the risk of falling
down. A huge metal sarcophagus is being built now with money from the EU and
international partners, which is expected to completely cover reactor 4 . And
there are 3,000 people working on that. Had this sarcophagus not been
built, and if the older one would be
left to collapse, the radiation level would again go up to the dangerous level
and could affect Europe again.


30 people were killed instantly when reactor four in
Chernobyl went off but no official figures have been released on the total
number of victims. 25 thousand people have supposedly died after taking part in
the decontamination operations.





Klaus Iohannis, at the EPC summit (Budapest, Hungary)
Today in the News Friday, 08 November 2024

EPC meeting in Budapest

European leaders met in Budapest to discuss security challenges facing Europe, with an emphasis on the situation in Ukraine, as well as the issues of...

EPC meeting in Budapest
Photo: pixabay.com
Today in the News Friday, 08 November 2024

Romania, from wages to youth unemployment

Data from the Statistical Office of the European Union – Eurostat show that the adjusted average annual full-time salary of Romanians is the fourth...

Romania, from wages to youth unemployment
Donald Trump (Photo: Facebook / Donald J. Trump)
Today in the News Thursday, 07 November 2024

Reactions to the election of Donald Trump

Many political leaders around the world have reacted by congratulating the Republican Donald Trump, who announced his victory in the US presidential...

Reactions to the election of Donald Trump
Foto: pixabay.com
Today in the News Thursday, 07 November 2024

Farmers and the Common Agricultural Policy

The Romanian Minister of Agriculture Florin Barbu and the European Commissioner for Agriculture, the Polish Janusz Wojciechowski, who is on formal...

Farmers and the Common Agricultural Policy
Today in the News Wednesday, 06 November 2024

Roxana Mînzatu, endorsed by the Romanian Parliament

Romanian Government’s proposal for the position of European Commissioner in the future Community Executive, the Social Democrat Roxana Mînzatu has...

Roxana Mînzatu, endorsed by the Romanian Parliament
Today in the News Wednesday, 06 November 2024

Japanese Investments in Energy and Technology

Important Japanese companies have expressed their interest, these days, in Bucharest, to invest in Romania, in transport infrastructure, energy,...

Japanese Investments in Energy and Technology
Today in the News Tuesday, 05 November 2024

NATO must stay united

NATO will work with the winner of the US elections, whoever that person may be and will do its best to stay united, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte...

NATO must stay united
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the...

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company