This Day in History: Nuclear Disaster at Chernobyl (Sunday, April 26)

This Day in History: Nuclear Disaster at Chernobyl April 26, 1986 The disaster at Chernobyl, located about 65 miles from Kiev in the former Soviet Union, is the worst nuclear power plant accident to date.

50 tons of radioactive material was released into the atmosphere after an explosion of the Number 4 reactor, caused by an engineering experiment.

The 30,000 residents of the nearby community of Pripyat were evacuated the next day.

The Soviet government attempted a cover-up.

But two days after the disaster, radiation levels 800 miles away in Sweden were detected at 40% higher than the normal level.

32 people were initially killed in the Chernobyl plant.

5,000 Soviets eventually died from radiation-induced illnesses.

Millions of acres of forest and farmland across Northern and Eastern Europe were contaminated.

The former residents of Pripyat have never returned.