Chernobyl Disaster: Lessons from a Nuclear Meltdown

Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster; On April 26, 1986, Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in northern Ukraine exploded during a late-night safety test. Operators were testing how long turbines would generate power after shutdown. But the reactor had design flaws, and critical safety systems were disabled during the test. A sudden power surge triggered two massive explosions. The reactor core was exposed to the open air. Graphite caught fire. Radioactive material was blasted high into the