1:23AM.

Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explodes, launching a plume of radioactive dust and smoke into the air.

It takes a day before the surrounding area is evacuated. Helicopters are called in from as far as Siberia and East Germany to dump cobalt and sand onto the reactor, costing the lives of several pilots.

Men are sent in to clean up the radioactive material often wearing nothing but a dust mask. Certain areas measured thousands of roentgens per hour.

The death toll is still unknown. May this day in history never be forgotten.

I believe Reactors 1 and 2 were contained. Had it occurred in one of those reactors, the results may not have been so disastrous.

And look at the knock on effect we have now...

We want coal fired power stations, because they are "safer" than nuclear, which will all explode...

...Greenpeace say no, because they're too dirty...


We want Nuclear power stations, as they are far cleaner and efficient than burning a natural resource that is fast running out...

...Greenpeace say no, because they all explode apparently.

A tragic accident, but one from which the lessons were learned.