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page 34 b UKRAINE Chernobyl disaster: Ukraine marks 30th anniversary Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, when an explosion at the power plant near the town contaminated a wide area and sent radiation clouds across the globe. During the catastrophe, two people died immediately, while 29 more died within weeks. It […]

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UKRAINE

Chernobyl disaster: Ukraine marks 30th anniversary

Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, when an explosion at the power plant near the town contaminated a wide area and sent radiation clouds across the globe.

During the catastrophe, two people died immediately, while 29 more died within weeks. It is estimated thousands more have died from cancers and other illnesses in the ensuing years.

More than 200 tons of uranium are still inside the reactor site, fuelling fears that new radiation leaks could occur in the area, which is already considered to be unsafe for at least the next century.

International donors on Monday pledged an additional $99 million in aid toward completing a newer, safer fuel storage facility for Chernobyl.

The reactor is now a huge construction site, with cranes towering over the remains of the power station. The radiation levels still set off danger warnings, three decades after the explosion.