A Nuclear Nightmare
Engineers at a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, in the former Soviet Union, were working on an experiment which reduced the energy of the plant. Because of this, the cooling pumps slowed down. Briefly after midnight the water in the cooling pumps began to boil which lead to a rapid rise in temperature. Due to the change in temperature, a sudden surge of power came from the reactor. Twenty people were working that night of April 25, 1986, when a force of water, fire, and chemicals came pouring through the plant. Many people died from the lethal radiation, the explosion itself, and from the extreme heat of 4,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
Twenty-nine people died instantly inside the plant, including firemen and plant workers. Over 100,000 people will have to visit doctors for the rest of their lives to reduce the chance of getting cancer or other illnesses. Scientists also estimate that between 50,000 and 100,000 people in Europe will die in the next thirty years of the exposure to radiation.