July 3: On This Day in World History … briefly

In the accident’s aftermath 237 people suffered from acute radiation sickness, of whom 31 died within the first three months.

July 3, 2019

South Coast Herald 1 minute read

Pripyat lies abandoned with the Chernobyl facility visible in the distance - Wikipedia

1990: Hero of Chernobyl dies

Anatoli Grishchenko, the Russian who braved radioactive fallout at the heart of Chernobyl to save the world from an even worse catastrophe, died of leukemia in an American hospital today.

Reactors No. 4 and No. 3 shortly after the disaster – Wikipedia

Grishchenko flew a helicopter over the damaged reactor and dropped loads of sand and concrete needed to seal the plant and prevent meltdown.

Radioactive steam plumes continued to be generated days after the initial explosion, as evidenced here on May 3, 1986, due to decay heat. The roof of the turbine hall is damaged (image centre). Roof of the adjacent reactor 3 (image lower left) shows minor fire damage – Wikipedia

The disaster occurred in April 1986 when fire broke out at the reactor causing the worst ever nuclear accident to-date.

Pripyat with the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the distance – Wikipedia

There was widespread concern about the contamination of livestock and the long-term effects of widespread radiation (linked with cancer) on humans.

After the disaster, four square kilometres (1.5 square miles) of pine forest directly downwind of the reactor turned reddish-brown and died, earning the name of the ‘Red Forest’, though it soon recovered. This photograph was taken in March 2009 after the forest began to grow again, with the lack of foliage at the time of the photograph merely due to the local winter at the time – Wikipedia

Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.

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July 3, 2019

South Coast Herald 1 minute read

July 3: On This Day in World History … briefly

In the accident’s aftermath 237 people suffered from acute radiation sickness, of whom 31 died within the first three months.

1990: Hero of Chernobyl dies

Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.

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