The Chernobyl Disaster of April 1986

The Chernobyl nuclear powerplant disaster of April 1986. Reactor construction & design, and control rod flaws. The planned power-down & start of the test, the power-down overshoot and xenon poisoning that led to the power surge and explosion. The alarm bells in Europe. The fall-out, site containment, mass evacuation, prevention of a possible follow-on corium meltdown event, and clean-up operation by the ‘liquidators’. The 1986 ‘sarcophogus’ and the 2010 ‘new safe confinement’ arch. 12 pages (incl. 5 maps, 6 schematic diagrams, 10 contemporary and 5 other photos).