Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Melt Down: How the 1986 Catastrophe Nearly Sparked Global Nuclear Armageddon

On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor melt down unleashed a plume of radioactive material that drifted across Europe, prompting emergency declarations in multiple capitals.

Chernobyl nuclear reactor melt down: Timeline of the crisis

Within hours, reactor 4 exploded, exposing the graphite core; firefighters arrived unaware of the lethal dose they were inhaling.

‘We were facing a scenario no one had imagined,’ recalled a Soviet engineer, speaking to Reuters.

Radiation levels measured in the surrounding zone peaked at ↓ 400 times the normal background, forcing evacuations of entire towns.

Cleanup and containment, known as the sarcophagus project, ultimately cost an estimated ↓ $12 billion, a figure echoed in analyses by AP News.

Intel provided by: Julian Vance

Senior Global Security Correspondent