Chernobyl Nuclear Accident
April 26 1986

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant is located in Ukraine at the settlement of Pryp'yat, 16 km northwest of the city of Chernobyl (Ukrainian: Chornobyl) and 104 km north of Kiev, Ukraine (20km south of the border with Belarus). On April 26 1986 operators of the power plant ran a test on an electric control system of one of the reactors. They shut down the reactor's power-regulating system and its emergency safety systems, and they withdrew most of the control rods from its core while the reactor was still running. Other mistakes compounded the problem, and at 1:23 AM on April 26 the chain reaction in the core went out of control. Several explosions triggered a large fireball; this and the ensuing fire in the reactor core released large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere. Most contamination occurred around the reactor in areas that are now part of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.
Information from "Chernobyl accident." Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Online. http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9023843
[Accessed April19 2006].

Chernobyl 20 years later

IAEA in Focus series featuring reports, stories and background documents. From the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Chernobyl: 20th anniversary

A platform for international cooperation on Chernobyl containing a depository of UN official documents on Chernobyl nuclear accident as well as the updates from UN Coordinator of international cooperation on Chernobyl. From The United Nations and Chernobyl which was launched by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Chernobyl - 20 years later

Many news organisations have visited Ukraine 20 years after the Chernobyl disaster to assess its impact and effect on the environment and population.

Chernobyl 20 years on

A BBC News website team visited Ukraine to assess the legacy of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl 20 years after it spewed radiation across Europe. Includes Chernobyl Diary. From the BBC.

Inside Chernobyl

Feature on the 20th anniversary of the disaster. Includes photo gallery. From National Geographic.

Chernobyl 20 years on

Two decades after the world's worst nuclear accident, Adam Higginbotham entered the 30km exclusion zone. From the Observer Magazine.

Aging Chernobyl Survivors Share Memories on 20th Anniversary on Nuclear Accident

Two decades on, survivors are still struggling to come to terms with the devastating affects of the accident. VOA's Lisa McAdams visited a village in Ukraine located in the so-called exclusion zone.From Voice of America News.

Health and environmental effects

Reports have been released on the 20th anniversary of the disaster examining its health and environmental impacts. There has been controversy as Greenpeace has criticised a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency claiming it underestimates deaths resulting from the radiation released.

How many more lives will Chernobyl claim?

From New Scientist.

Health effects of the Chernobyl Accident 1.66 MB PDF, 167 pages

In commemoration of the accident's 20th anniversary a report entitled Health Effects of the Chernobyl Accident and Special Health Care Programmes (2006) was produced as a result of a series of expert meetings. In addition, a fact sheet summarizes the main health effects of the accident as outlined in the report. From WHO (World Health Organization).

Chernobyl's Legacy: Health, Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts and Recommendations to the Governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine (also Russian version) 793 KB PDF, 55 pages

Report from The Chernobyl Forum: 2003–2005 (Second revised version).

The Chernobyl Catastrophe: Consequences on Human Health 2.06 MB PDF, 138 pages

Greenpeace document, published April 2006

Environmental Consequences of the Chernobyl Accident and their Remediation: Twenty Years of Experience 9.17MB PDF, 180 pages

This report from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association) provides an up to date evaluation of the environmental effects of the accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Even though it is now nearly 20 years after the accident, there are still many conflicting reports and rumours concerning its consequences.