20th anniversary of Chernobyl nuclear disaster
Wednesday, 26 April 2006 22:23
The people of Ukraine are marking the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
In the capital, Kiev, President Victor Yushchenko placed a bouquet of roses at a memorial by the 'Chernobyl church', where survivors gather every year.
Hundreds of people, each bearing a candle and some with red carnations, filed slowly through the streets of Slavutych, the town built to house the Chernobyl plant's workers after the accident.
At 1.23am local time (9.23pm last night Irish time), about the time of the explosion, a minute of silence was declared. A bell tolled and alarm sirens blared.
The explosion claimed thousands of lives and contaminated large swathes of territory in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia with nuclear fall-out also measured across much of western Europe.
It happened when a test involving Chernobyl's cooling system went wrong. A power surge resulted in water from the cooling system turning to steam, blowing off the roof of the reactor.
A second explosion released 3% of the reactor's radiation.
A soaring cloud spilled radioactive debris into the surrounding area and a radiation cloud drifted across half of Europe.
28 workers died in the immediate explosion while a further 19 died fighting the resultant fire.
Controversy continues over the ultimate death toll.
The UN estimates 4,000 deaths, mainly through cancers, while Greenpeace claims the true death toll could be up to 100,000.
- Morning Ireland: Tony Connelly, Europe Correspondent, reports from Chernobyl on today's ceremonies to mark the 20th anniversary of the nuclear accident
- Morning Ireland: Actor Vitaly Clina voices the story told to Paul Cunningham of the late Valentin Maslyvk, who was a cattle truck driver who volunteered to help move livestock from the radioactive area
- Nine News: Paul Cunningham, Environment Correspondent, reports that more than 100 children have been treated here for a fatal heart condition blamed on radioactive fall-out
- Nine News: Tony Connelly says many former residents in the area are trying to return despite the danger
- Nine News: Tony Connelly, Europe Correspondent, reports that Viktor Yushchenko presented medals to those who risked their lives in the aftermath
- Six One News: Paul Cunningham, Environment Correspondent, meets some of the children who suffered from what's called 'Chernobyl Heart' and were treated in Ireland
- Six One News: Tony Connelly, Europe Correspondent, has the details of today's ceremonies from Chernobyl
- One News: Kathleen Mac Mahon reports on today's ceremonies in Ukraine and the Vatican to mark the 20th anniversary of what was the world's worst nuclear disaster
