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.