Chernobyl: Design. Denial. Fallout.Episode 41:57
The Fire No One Could Safely Approach
Reactor Number Four explodes, leaving firefighters to battle a graphite fire above radiation levels assessed as lethal.
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Transcript
A graphite fire burned; reactor hall radiation was certainly above lethal levels.
On April 26th, 1986, a safety test became history’s worst nuclear accident.
The plant had four reactors; technicians were running one at low power.
Then technicians lost control of the reactor they were testing.
A massive explosion tore through the hall of the fourth reactor building.
The explosion and fire destroyed the reactor building.
A continuing graphite fire was a major problem for rescuers and plant personnel.
Courage moved crews toward flames; it could not make radiation visible.
The air seemed to hold its breath as danger pressed inward.
A CIA report assessed extensive damage at the power plant, indicating a large explosion.
Its major warning was a continuing graphite fire threatening rescuers and workers.
Inside the hall, that radiation made brief exposure potentially fatal for unprotected crews.
Responders faced dangerous exposure while working near the shattered reactor hall.
The explosion emitted 500 times more radiation than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
The explosion emitted radiation, and the accident caused widespread radioactive contamination.
Radioactive iodine was expected to concentrate in the thyroid.
Psychological effects included fear of exposure and fear for children.
Psychological effects arose from fear of exposure, fear for children, mistrust of authorities, and forced evacuation.
Many people near the plant received high thyroid doses before evacuation.
Where it leaves off
But while the graphite fire burned above lethal radiation, radioactive iodine was already moving toward the children of Pripyat.
Sources
- Historical Documents - Office of the Historianhistory.state.govprimary
- Introduction - Chernobyl Nuclear Accident, Chornobyl, Ukraine: A Resource Guide - Research Guides at Library of Congressguides.loc.govsecondary
- Chernobyl Before It Was CHERNOBYL! – The Text Messagetext-message.blogs.archives.govsecondary
- The Chernobyl Accident 20 Years On: An Assessment of the Health Consequences and the International Response - PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govsecondary
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