What was the population of Chernobyl before the accident?

Before its evacuation Chernobyl was inhabited by 16,000 people but is now populated only by Zone administrative personnel, some of those involved in decommissioning the power plants and residents who refused to leave their homes or subsequently returned.

Was Chernobyl in an accident?

The 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, then part of the former Soviet Union, is the only accident in the history of commercial nuclear power to cause fatalities from radiation. It was the product of a severely flawed Soviet-era reactor design, combined with human error.

What led to the accident at Chernobyl?

The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. The resulting steam explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the environment, with the deposition of radioactive materials in many parts of Europe.

How long will it take for Chernobyl to return to pre accident levels?

Although three decades have passed since the accident, the town of Pripyat is no closer to being repopulated. The immediate area around Chernobyl will have to remain empty for at least 3,000 years because of dangerously high contamination levels, proof, say some opponents, of nuclear energy’s long-term dangers.