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Provided by explosiveskull
https://twitter.com/kaboomskull
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On April 26, 1986,
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the catastrophe shook
the whole of Europe
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and the world would
experience a fatal day
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that became engraved
in its history.
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A catastrophe that would
turn an entire city
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into a post
apocalyptic ghost town.
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A disaster that revealed
the true devastating nature
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of nuclear energy
in the wrong hands.
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This is the tragedy of Chernobyl
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and the damages that left
behind after a deadly fight
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against an invisible enemy.
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This appears to be
pristine wilderness,
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a world full of life,
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a quiet area where nature
and wildlife is thriving.
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This could be paradise on earth
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but it has a dreadful secret.
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Ukraine, 1986.
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The Chernobyl
nuclear power plant
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was one of the Soviet Union's
largest nuclear power plants.
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Located 60 miles North of
Ukraine's capital city of Kiev
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and near the border of Belarus.
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Chernobyl was about
nine miles away
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and home to about
12,000 residents.
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Closer to the plant,
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only two miles away
from the reactors,
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the city of Pripyat
was built in 1970
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as a home for the plant workers.
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This new city had high quality
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and modern high-rise buildings.
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Pripyat housed
almost 50,000 people.
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It was lively and
rich, full of talents,
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and goods were more
available there
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than in any other
parts of the Union.
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Pripyat was the
perfect execution
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of Soviet planning in ideology.
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It seemed to be promising,
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but its future wouldn't
be the bright one
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that had been predicted.
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In the spring of 1986,
its fate was sealed.
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Inside the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant,
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there were RBMK-1000
type reactors.
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They would be proven
to be highly dangerous
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due to having a design flaw.
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According to the workers,
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reactor number four
was the best of all.
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It turned out they couldn't
have been more wrong.
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On 26th of April,
1986, at 1:23 AM,
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a catastrophe shook
the whole of Europe.
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00:07:50,178 --> 00:07:52,414
And the world would
experience a fatal day
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that became engraved
in its history;
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a major nuclear accident.
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00:08:03,525 --> 00:08:06,995
One of the worst manmade
disasters of all time.
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The largest nuclear
catastrophe to this day.
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The amount of radiation
was 400 times higher
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than what was released by the
Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs
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in 1945.
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A radioactive cloud
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spread over the entire
European continent.
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On that night,
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a routine safety check
went horribly wrong.
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The reactor four exploded,
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ripping the 1000 ton
roof off in the process.
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The power plant was shaken
by two enormous explosions.
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During the test,
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inadequately trained
personnel made fatal mistakes
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and violated safety protocols.
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Despite attempts to shut
down the reactor entirely,
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a power surge caused a chain
reaction of explosions inside.
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Finally,
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the nuclear core
itself was exposed
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causing a nuclear meltdown,
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spewing radioactive dust
into the atmosphere.
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In the springtime of 1986,
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where flowers were
supposed to bloom
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and nature come back to life,
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a whole ecosystem was
disturbed, broken.
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From then on,
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a relentless fight against
an invisible enemy began
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putting thousands of
lives on the line.
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The incident would turn
out to be a milestone
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in the history of nuclear power,
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and the catalyst of the
collapse of the Soviet Union
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as they tried to cover it up.
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The people became disillusioned
with the Soviet ideology.
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The station immediately became
unsuitable for human life,
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and this disaster will
haunt its inhabitants,
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and have repercussions
on the country
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for thousands of years.
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The explosions immediately
killed two workers.
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They were the first to die
within hours of the accident.
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More than 100 were injured.
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The first firemen to
arrive at the scene
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battled the fire heroically
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and without any adequate
protective equipment
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unaware of the radiation
seeping into the atmosphere.
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They poured tons of water
on this strange fire,
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but nothing seemed
to be putting it out.
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Some began to lose consciousness.
Others started vomiting.
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At least 5% of the
radioactive reactor core
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was released into
the atmosphere.
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People were urgently rushed
to the nearby hospitals
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and all the contaminated
clothes, footwear and bed linen
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were thrown away.
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Over the next coming weeks,
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on a total of 134 servicemen
that were injured,
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28 firefighters and
plant workers would die
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from Acute Radiation Syndrome.
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Many more contracted
serious illness.
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They were the first
victims of Chernobyl.
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For the next several days,
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emergency crews desperately
tried to contain the fire
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and radiation leaks.
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The death toll kept climbing.
The fire was still burning.
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On the third day,
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80 helicopters were sent from
Moscow to put the fire out.
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When they arrived,
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the temperature made it
impossible to get close.
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From the air,
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soldiers threw out 80
kilograms of sandbags
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into the blaze with
their bare hands
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to fill up the reactors
and smother the fire.
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In two days,
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2,400 tons of lead would also
be dropped into the reactor.
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After a few missions, soldiers
would start throwing up.
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It was heroism.
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It had to be done. There
was no better solution.
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During this operation,
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600 pilots were
contaminated with radiation.
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There was despair
and hopelessness
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as the situation seemed
impossible to deal with.
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Flying around in
helicopters wasn't enough.
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They needed to get closer
and down into the core.
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But how?
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Something had to be done
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to keep the magma
from melting down.
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They came up with a solution,
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but it would cause the
loss of more lives.
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They built a 550 foot long
tunnel below the reactor.
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The fire took 10 days and 250
firefighters to extinguish it.
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However,
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toxic emissions continued to
escape into the atmosphere.
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Later on, the crews
discovered something horrific;
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the most toxic mass on earth.
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A solid large radioactive
mass of melted nuclear fuel,
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metal and concrete,
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located beneath the
destroyed reactor four.
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The radiation
readers made it clear
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that what was inside was
something to be avoided.
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They called it 'the
Elephant's Foot'.
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Scientists believe that it
is going to emit radiation
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for many centuries to come.
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In a month,
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10,000 miners would
be sent to work there
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facing extremely
dangerous conditions.
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A total of 600,000 rescuers,
including firefighters,
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pilots, miners, and
local volunteers,
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were sent from
all over the union
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to fight against this
terrifying invisible enemy
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and to clean up the disaster.
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These people would be
called 'the liquidators'.
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These men and women who
fought a ruthless battle
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have now become almost
forgotten heroes
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yet it is thanks to them
that the worst was avoided.
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At the Kremlin in Moscow,
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eight hours after the disaster,
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Mikhail Gorbachev, leader
of the Soviet Union,
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received very limited
information on the situation.
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The first information
consisted of accident and fire,
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but no word about an explosion.
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The reaction of Soviet
government was controversial.
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For years,
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the secretive state tried to
cover up what really happened.
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At first they ordered a
complete media blackout
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only to avoid
panic, they claimed.
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The less knowledge and the
more silence, the better.
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00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:01,738
But frightening gossips were
already going around the city.
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The situation was
underestimated.
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No one really knew the
scope of the accident.
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Even doctors were
strictly instructed
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not to tell the patients
that something was wrong,
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and that they would
lose their jobs
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if they said anything opposite.
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A few days after the accident,
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and despite alarming
radiation levels,
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authorities still
encouraged people
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to participate in
May Day celebrations,
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even in areas they knew to
be seriously contaminated.
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Disturbingly,
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all footage of May 1st, 1986,
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has now disappeared from the
Ukrainian National Archives.
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In Pripyat, by early
afternoon the next day,
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the radiation readings
were already 15,000 times
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higher than usual.
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00:22:36,958 --> 00:22:39,861
By the evening, it had
increased even more
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creating a lethal dose
for the inhabitants.
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They would die in only
four days if they stayed.
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00:22:52,872 --> 00:22:56,042
Even on photographs
radiation was visible,
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but the city's
communication was cut
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00:23:03,181 --> 00:23:04,783
and all roads were blocked
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to make sure no information
left the municipality.
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Unaware of the
disaster happening
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only three kilometers away,
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people continued to
live their normal lives.
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Children continued to play
in the radioactive sand
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of the amusement parks
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while radioactive particles
were falling on the grounds.
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00:23:48,924 --> 00:23:51,026
By the evening of April 26th,
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windows and doors
should have been sealed
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and iodide tablets swallowed.
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00:24:00,099 --> 00:24:03,003
But such order had
not been given.
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00:24:08,575 --> 00:24:11,378
The government only
started distributing iodide
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10 days after the explosion.
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00:24:14,646 --> 00:24:16,582
Wrong doses were also
administered to children.
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00:24:17,583 --> 00:24:20,119
By that point, it was useless.
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00:24:20,152 --> 00:24:23,389
Iodide can protect
from thyroid cancer
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only if it's given
in the right time;
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a maximum of 18
hours after exposure.
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00:24:33,998 --> 00:24:37,902
In Chernobyl, the
population was not moved.
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00:24:37,934 --> 00:24:41,171
The contaminated food stuffs
were kept within the food chain
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for critical period
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00:24:42,873 --> 00:24:44,641
and iodine tablets
weren't handed out
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to protect the thyroid
from thyroid cancer.
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00:24:47,977 --> 00:24:49,513
It was chaos.
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00:24:51,181 --> 00:24:53,449
Nobody had any
training in radiation.
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00:24:54,516 --> 00:24:57,119
At Chios National
Medical Library,
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00:24:57,151 --> 00:24:59,121
the librarians even
received an order
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00:24:59,153 --> 00:25:01,022
to take all the books
from the shelves
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00:25:01,055 --> 00:25:03,359
that contained the
word radiation.
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00:25:05,392 --> 00:25:07,595
The disaster was expanding.
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00:25:11,032 --> 00:25:13,668
No one in the surrounding
areas was evacuated
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00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:17,138
until about 36 hours
after the disaster began.
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00:25:18,138 --> 00:25:19,607
By that time,
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00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:21,976
many residents were already
complaining about headaches,
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00:25:22,008 --> 00:25:26,412
vomiting, and other early
signs of radiation sickness.
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00:25:26,446 --> 00:25:27,849
It was terrifying.
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00:25:31,050 --> 00:25:33,686
But the situation
turned critical.
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00:25:33,718 --> 00:25:36,956
The evacuations of Pripyat
commenced on the next day
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on April 27th.
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00:26:19,126 --> 00:26:20,729
The people living
around Chernobyl
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were finally notified
about the accident.
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00:26:33,540 --> 00:26:35,175
But authorities falsely stated
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that they had it under control.
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00:26:37,178 --> 00:26:40,647
And that the evacuation
was only temporary.
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00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,650
Only the most necessary
belongings were needed.
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00:26:43,682 --> 00:26:46,686
Personal documents and
some food, they were told.
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00:26:57,997 --> 00:26:59,465
In a matter of a few hours,
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00:26:59,497 --> 00:27:01,499
people had to leave their homes,
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00:27:01,533 --> 00:27:03,369
their entire lives behind.
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00:27:17,714 --> 00:27:22,620
They were told that they were
leaving for three days only.
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00:27:32,395 --> 00:27:34,464
They would never come back.
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00:27:44,138 --> 00:27:47,141
The evacuation was
a massive operation.
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00:27:47,175 --> 00:27:50,779
49,000 people were forced
to flee in under four hours.
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00:28:01,488 --> 00:28:04,758
Officials finally closed
off the area by May 14th,
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00:28:04,790 --> 00:28:08,193
establishing an exclusion
zone around the reactor
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00:28:08,226 --> 00:28:12,531
and evacuating another
116,000 residents.
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00:28:16,701 --> 00:28:20,573
But it was too late.
The damage was done.
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00:28:22,206 --> 00:28:23,841
Somebody at the
top has to decide
259
00:28:23,875 --> 00:28:25,176
what's going to happen.
260
00:28:25,210 --> 00:28:26,577
But what I don't
think will happen
261
00:28:26,611 --> 00:28:28,047
is that they will
suddenly, as it were,
262
00:28:28,079 --> 00:28:29,746
come clean and become very open,
263
00:28:29,779 --> 00:28:31,816
allow international
inspection itself.
264
00:28:31,848 --> 00:28:33,784
What is much more
likely to happen is that
265
00:28:33,817 --> 00:28:35,485
in the course of time,
266
00:28:35,518 --> 00:28:38,655
new information will be
released in dribs and drabs.
267
00:28:38,689 --> 00:28:41,091
But this will come
out as they see fit.
268
00:28:41,123 --> 00:28:43,492
They're not going to
suddenly open the doors
269
00:28:43,526 --> 00:28:45,528
to people to go in to
see what's happened.
270
00:28:45,562 --> 00:28:47,164
And I don't think that
they're going to accept
271
00:28:47,197 --> 00:28:48,732
international aid either.
272
00:28:51,401 --> 00:28:54,136
People were moved
to other regions in Ukraine,
273
00:28:54,169 --> 00:28:57,672
and most of the power plant
workers were sent to Kiev.
274
00:28:57,706 --> 00:29:02,545
In total, some 350,000
people were evacuated.
275
00:29:13,588 --> 00:29:16,390
No news about Chernobyl
surfaced until the next days
276
00:29:16,422 --> 00:29:18,858
in the rest of the Soviet Union.
277
00:29:18,891 --> 00:29:20,494
In fact,
278
00:29:20,526 --> 00:29:22,361
the citizens only found
out about the catastrophe
279
00:29:22,395 --> 00:29:24,565
via foreign
communication channels.
280
00:29:26,765 --> 00:29:28,868
The Soviet media
channels kept quiet
281
00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:30,836
until Sweden was
the first country
282
00:29:30,869 --> 00:29:33,639
to detect that something
disastrous had happened.
283
00:29:35,875 --> 00:29:38,378
This forced the Soviet
government to come out.
284
00:29:43,548 --> 00:29:47,553
Such a massive disaster was
impossible to hide for long.
285
00:29:51,522 --> 00:29:54,524
Radiation spread
quickly around Europe,
286
00:29:54,558 --> 00:29:57,361
immediately affecting
Scandinavian countries.
287
00:30:00,696 --> 00:30:02,665
It was only on the 14th of May,
288
00:30:02,698 --> 00:30:04,900
after the 1st of
May celebrations,
289
00:30:04,933 --> 00:30:07,636
and three weeks
after the accident,
290
00:30:07,670 --> 00:30:11,541
that Gorbachev decided to make
a public announcement on TV.
291
00:30:11,574 --> 00:30:12,775
Today on Soviet television,
292
00:30:12,808 --> 00:30:14,443
Mr. Gorbachev said the accident
293
00:30:14,477 --> 00:30:17,179
has deeply affected
the Soviet people.
294
00:30:17,211 --> 00:30:19,780
And as he put it,
disturbed world opinion.
295
00:30:19,814 --> 00:30:21,517
He told his fellow countrymen
296
00:30:21,549 --> 00:30:23,519
that the worst is
now behind them.
297
00:30:23,551 --> 00:30:26,754
It has certainly taken
Mr. Gorbachev a long time
298
00:30:26,788 --> 00:30:27,722
to go public.
299
00:30:29,623 --> 00:30:32,527
We were recently
stricken by a disaster;
300
00:30:32,559 --> 00:30:35,395
the Chernobyl nuclear
power accident.
301
00:30:35,429 --> 00:30:37,398
It deeply affected
the Soviet people
302
00:30:37,431 --> 00:30:38,766
and disturbed world opinion.
303
00:30:45,837 --> 00:30:48,709
The news finally
reached the entire country.
304
00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:56,948
The white house
says Mr. Reagan's attempt
305
00:30:56,981 --> 00:31:00,418
to discuss the situation
with Mr. Gorbachev personally
306
00:31:00,451 --> 00:31:02,721
have been ignored by the
Kremlin for four days.
307
00:31:04,788 --> 00:31:06,857
They're usually a
little close mouthed.
308
00:31:09,493 --> 00:31:11,696
We don't think that
they have provided
309
00:31:11,728 --> 00:31:14,631
as full and prompt information
as they should have.
310
00:31:14,665 --> 00:31:17,901
Our own pictures
give us information
311
00:31:17,934 --> 00:31:20,771
that suggests the
casualty rates are higher
312
00:31:20,803 --> 00:31:23,372
than those that have been
announced by the Soviet Union
313
00:31:23,406 --> 00:31:25,576
so far, by a good measure.
314
00:31:54,734 --> 00:31:56,469
As the
crisis continued,
315
00:31:56,502 --> 00:31:59,505
more economic, technical,
and scientific forces
316
00:31:59,539 --> 00:32:00,641
were mobilized.
317
00:32:06,712 --> 00:32:09,548
It was a frontline
emergency situation.
318
00:32:15,054 --> 00:32:18,791
The radioactive cloud
continued to drift over Europe.
319
00:32:20,525 --> 00:32:24,463
It soon reached the United
Kingdom, France and Italy.
320
00:32:24,496 --> 00:32:26,864
The French authorities
denied its presence.
321
00:32:31,735 --> 00:32:32,937
In Chernobyl,
322
00:32:32,969 --> 00:32:36,039
the radioactivity
continued to climb.
323
00:32:36,073 --> 00:32:40,044
Millions of acres of forest and
farm land were contaminated.
324
00:32:40,076 --> 00:32:42,679
And although many
people were evacuated,
325
00:32:42,711 --> 00:32:45,414
hundreds of thousands
more remained.
326
00:32:58,526 --> 00:33:02,797
Animals were also highly
contaminated and left abandoned.
327
00:33:02,831 --> 00:33:07,601
Nobody took care of them.
Their owners wouldn't return.
328
00:33:07,635 --> 00:33:09,871
Special hunting
squads were formed,
329
00:33:09,903 --> 00:33:13,707
killing cats, dogs and all other
animals because of the fear
330
00:33:13,741 --> 00:33:15,877
that they would keep
spreading the radiation.
331
00:33:29,588 --> 00:33:32,558
Soon, but unfortunately
not soon enough,
332
00:33:32,590 --> 00:33:34,526
the entire world realized
333
00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:37,429
that it was witnessing
a historic event.
334
00:34:09,625 --> 00:34:12,527
34 years after the disaster,
335
00:34:12,561 --> 00:34:16,864
the area of Chernobyl remains
uninhabitable and abandoned.
336
00:34:16,897 --> 00:34:20,468
Although Pripyat is safe
enough for a brief visit,
337
00:34:20,502 --> 00:34:23,038
the cleanup was a
massive operation.
338
00:34:23,071 --> 00:34:26,607
It took years and involved
hundreds of thousands of people.
339
00:34:27,741 --> 00:34:29,043
Today, surprisingly,
340
00:34:29,075 --> 00:34:32,612
there are still about 120
people who self settled
341
00:34:32,646 --> 00:34:35,016
and are still living
in the exclusion zone.
342
00:34:36,617 --> 00:34:39,053
Around 8 million people live
in the contaminated areas
343
00:34:39,086 --> 00:34:42,022
of the Ukraine,
Russia, and Belarus.
344
00:34:42,989 --> 00:34:44,691
For all these years,
345
00:34:44,723 --> 00:34:46,725
they've been living
on contaminated land
346
00:34:46,759 --> 00:34:47,928
and radioactive food.
347
00:34:53,497 --> 00:34:56,901
This is an issue that has
been systematically ignored.
348
00:35:11,681 --> 00:35:12,783
In takes after
349
00:35:12,817 --> 00:35:15,052
was a very long time
to decontaminate.
350
00:35:15,085 --> 00:35:16,686
You know that the one
test in the beginning
351
00:35:16,718 --> 00:35:19,523
must have been many years
ago, over 30 years ago.
352
00:35:19,555 --> 00:35:20,657
It took years
353
00:35:20,689 --> 00:35:23,059
before the people
could go back there
354
00:35:23,091 --> 00:35:24,628
and even then it was not allowed
355
00:35:24,660 --> 00:35:26,796
to eat the food growing there.
356
00:35:26,829 --> 00:35:29,765
It may take years and years
before it goes back to normal.
357
00:35:57,657 --> 00:36:00,594
The consequences
are still felt nowadays.
358
00:36:08,834 --> 00:36:10,069
Among humans,
359
00:36:10,102 --> 00:36:12,571
radiation induced
illnesses and cancer deaths
360
00:36:12,604 --> 00:36:14,740
were expected in the longterm,
361
00:36:14,772 --> 00:36:18,576
including thyroid cancer,
birth defects, mutations,
362
00:36:18,610 --> 00:36:23,449
and deformations, intellectual
and physical disabilities,
363
00:36:26,851 --> 00:36:28,752
and overall pain and suffering.
364
00:36:57,913 --> 00:37:01,617
Livestock and wildlife
were also highly affected.
365
00:37:52,761 --> 00:37:53,897
In West Germany,
366
00:37:53,930 --> 00:37:56,267
down syndrome peaked
for nine months in 87.
367
00:38:09,378 --> 00:38:11,681
The United Nations
Scientific Committee
368
00:38:11,713 --> 00:38:13,782
reported that more
than 6,000 children
369
00:38:13,815 --> 00:38:17,685
developed thyroid cancer after
being exposed to radiation.
370
00:38:24,725 --> 00:38:26,660
Although some experts
have recently claimed
371
00:38:26,694 --> 00:38:30,397
that there is no evidence of
a major public health impact
372
00:38:30,429 --> 00:38:32,732
attributable to
radiation exposure
373
00:38:32,766 --> 00:38:34,968
20 years after the accident.
374
00:38:39,804 --> 00:38:40,940
The Princess of Wales
375
00:38:40,973 --> 00:38:42,342
had asked to visit
these children.
376
00:38:42,375 --> 00:38:44,077
They're all suffering
from diseases
377
00:38:44,109 --> 00:38:47,412
which can't be treated
effectively in the Soviet Union.
378
00:38:47,446 --> 00:38:49,681
Three like four year old myself,
379
00:38:49,714 --> 00:38:51,417
have cancers which
appear to be connected
380
00:38:51,449 --> 00:38:52,885
with the Chernobyl disaster.
381
00:39:36,891 --> 00:39:38,426
The
liquidators were incapable
382
00:39:38,460 --> 00:39:40,662
of going back to a normal life.
383
00:39:46,901 --> 00:39:49,638
They were all victims of
the Chernobyl syndrome.
384
00:39:53,139 --> 00:39:56,710
The ones who survived were
disabled or unable to work.
385
00:39:58,711 --> 00:40:00,047
Even
robots couldn't work
386
00:40:00,079 --> 00:40:02,782
on top of those buildings
because of the radiation.
387
00:40:02,815 --> 00:40:03,982
And so they sent people.
388
00:40:04,015 --> 00:40:06,017
It was so dangerous
the men never stayed
389
00:40:06,051 --> 00:40:08,354
more than 20 to 40
seconds up there.
390
00:40:08,386 --> 00:40:10,689
Otherwise they'd get
completely irradiated.
391
00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:24,068
Anatoly
Vinucor used to work
392
00:40:24,101 --> 00:40:26,503
as a hospital
attendant in the area.
393
00:40:26,537 --> 00:40:29,740
He was sent to the site just
minutes after the explosion.
394
00:40:31,475 --> 00:40:34,310
The doctors found
radiation burns on my face,
395
00:40:34,344 --> 00:40:36,914
in my thoracic cage,
and in my throat.
396
00:40:36,946 --> 00:40:38,381
I could hardly eat.
397
00:40:38,415 --> 00:40:40,416
I looked through my
window all day long.
398
00:40:40,448 --> 00:40:42,385
I saw a car that
drove big black bags
399
00:40:42,418 --> 00:40:43,787
straight to the cemetery.
400
00:40:45,454 --> 00:40:46,756
Today,
401
00:40:46,789 --> 00:40:48,091
Anatoly suffers from
a dozen illnesses,
402
00:40:48,124 --> 00:40:50,526
all as a result of the
exposure to the radiation.
403
00:40:50,559 --> 00:40:52,860
And with a small
pension to live on,
404
00:40:52,893 --> 00:40:55,996
he struggles to cope with
the medication expenses.
405
00:40:56,029 --> 00:40:57,932
The Association
Sawyers Chernobyl
406
00:40:57,966 --> 00:41:01,002
offers financial support
to victims like Anatoly.
407
00:41:01,034 --> 00:41:03,437
Its president says that many
of them have the impression
408
00:41:03,471 --> 00:41:04,805
they have been forgotten.
409
00:41:06,140 --> 00:41:07,775
Medical help
to the people of Chernobyl
410
00:41:07,807 --> 00:41:09,142
has shrunk eight fold.
411
00:41:09,175 --> 00:41:11,544
Today it's only 6
million pruveners.
412
00:41:11,577 --> 00:41:14,849
That's equivalent to 20 Euro
cents per person per year.
413
00:41:14,881 --> 00:41:17,083
The Ukrainian government
has no respect.
414
00:41:24,322 --> 00:41:25,924
According
to the military,
415
00:41:25,958 --> 00:41:28,461
out of the 600,000 liquidators,
416
00:41:30,162 --> 00:41:31,797
10% have died
417
00:41:35,834 --> 00:41:38,437
and 200,000 are disabled.
418
00:41:48,545 --> 00:41:51,981
The real amount of radiation
these people are exposed to
419
00:41:52,015 --> 00:41:54,317
has never been revealed to them.
420
00:41:58,888 --> 00:42:00,891
There were a lot of lies
421
00:42:01,691 --> 00:42:04,860
and only a few realized
the scope of these lies.
422
00:42:07,963 --> 00:42:10,966
On the second anniversary
of the Chernobyl disaster,
423
00:42:10,999 --> 00:42:15,504
on the 27th of April,
1988, Valery Legasov,
424
00:42:15,535 --> 00:42:17,971
the chief of the commission
investigating it,
425
00:42:18,004 --> 00:42:20,808
and who had worked so
hard to unveil the truth,
426
00:42:21,942 --> 00:42:24,044
decided to end his life.
427
00:42:37,090 --> 00:42:38,959
He had recorded and
hidden the tapes
428
00:42:38,992 --> 00:42:41,960
blaming engineer
Anatoly Dyatlov,
429
00:42:41,993 --> 00:42:43,595
who was in charge
of the safety test
430
00:42:43,629 --> 00:42:46,098
that resulted in the disaster,
431
00:42:46,130 --> 00:42:48,301
and other superiors
for the incident.
432
00:42:58,475 --> 00:43:00,477
We are going
to talk this afternoon
433
00:43:00,510 --> 00:43:03,081
about the impact of Chernobyl
434
00:43:03,113 --> 00:43:06,616
something of the order of 40
or 45 deaths might be expected
435
00:43:06,650 --> 00:43:09,820
in all subsequent years, as
a result of this accident.
436
00:43:24,367 --> 00:43:25,468
To this day,
437
00:43:25,501 --> 00:43:27,936
only 59 deaths have
been officially recorded
438
00:43:27,969 --> 00:43:29,972
and attributed to the disaster.
439
00:43:31,105 --> 00:43:34,075
The exact actual human
cost of Chernobyl
440
00:43:34,108 --> 00:43:35,643
will never really be known.
441
00:43:38,012 --> 00:43:40,381
There is little reliable data.
442
00:43:43,082 --> 00:43:45,418
The full consequences
of the accident,
443
00:43:45,452 --> 00:43:47,455
including impacts on health,
444
00:43:47,488 --> 00:43:49,991
remain highly debated
and understudied.
445
00:43:52,124 --> 00:43:56,662
Most estimates range from
4,000 to 93,000 deaths.
446
00:44:06,971 --> 00:44:09,941
In the first few months
following the catastrophe,
447
00:44:09,975 --> 00:44:12,678
Pripyat became a
conservation reserve.
448
00:44:16,113 --> 00:44:18,683
Flowers were planted
along the pavements.
449
00:44:18,715 --> 00:44:20,951
Goods were still in the shops.
450
00:44:20,985 --> 00:44:23,988
And even the traffic
lights continued to work.
451
00:44:24,021 --> 00:44:27,625
But there was no cars and
no sign of human life.
452
00:44:28,991 --> 00:44:30,159
As time passed,
453
00:44:30,192 --> 00:44:33,397
the city became more and
more empty, and silent.
454
00:44:34,364 --> 00:44:36,699
Some old inhabitants
illegally climbed back
455
00:44:36,732 --> 00:44:39,102
into their own homes to
see if they could find
456
00:44:39,134 --> 00:44:41,336
the belongings that
they'd left behind,
457
00:44:42,437 --> 00:44:45,140
only to realize that
nothing was there,
458
00:44:45,173 --> 00:44:47,009
and that it was all over.
459
00:44:48,410 --> 00:44:51,680
People came to rob the shops
and stole what was left.
460
00:44:51,712 --> 00:44:55,149
People still take things from
the dead city as souvenir.
461
00:44:58,752 --> 00:45:01,722
Pripyat may well be
the last place on earth
462
00:45:01,755 --> 00:45:05,725
to conserve a little Soviet
Union in its 1980s state.
463
00:45:06,859 --> 00:45:10,164
Now, trees and plants have
grown in the middle of the roads
464
00:45:10,196 --> 00:45:12,733
and are reclaiming
the whole town.
465
00:45:12,765 --> 00:45:14,501
The flowers are gone.
466
00:45:14,533 --> 00:45:16,502
The Soviet apartments
are crumbling.
467
00:45:17,436 --> 00:45:19,372
The 1st of May parades' posters
468
00:45:19,404 --> 00:45:21,073
still decorate the buildings.
469
00:45:25,177 --> 00:45:29,147
The amusement park with the
bumper cars were never used.
470
00:45:29,180 --> 00:45:31,350
And the Ferris wheel
that never turned
471
00:45:31,383 --> 00:45:34,019
has become an iconic
symbol of the disaster.
472
00:45:38,823 --> 00:45:41,992
In the areas just outside
the exclusion zone,
473
00:45:42,025 --> 00:45:44,494
people are beginning
to resettle.
474
00:45:44,527 --> 00:45:47,330
The deadly disaster of
Chernobyl and the ghost town
475
00:45:47,364 --> 00:45:50,333
had left behind
fascinated many people.
476
00:45:50,367 --> 00:45:54,671
Surprisingly, it even
became a tourism hotspot.
477
00:45:54,703 --> 00:45:59,375
In 2011, Ukraine opened
up the area to tourists.
478
00:45:59,408 --> 00:46:00,776
The town gives us a glimpse
479
00:46:00,810 --> 00:46:04,613
of what a real post-apocalyptic
world looks like.
480
00:46:04,646 --> 00:46:08,083
Deserted towns,
abandoned buildings,
481
00:46:08,115 --> 00:46:13,121
overgrown streets, high
grass, rusty vehicles.
482
00:46:14,055 --> 00:46:17,324
Everything crumbling, breaking,
483
00:46:17,357 --> 00:46:20,761
and among these, wild animals.
484
00:46:20,795 --> 00:46:22,397
It attracts numerous tourists
485
00:46:22,429 --> 00:46:24,364
who are interested
in its history,
486
00:46:24,397 --> 00:46:28,668
in its danger, and in immersing
themselves in the past.
487
00:46:29,669 --> 00:46:31,138
In fact,
488
00:46:31,171 --> 00:46:33,506
the exclusion zone was
ranked the most exotic place
489
00:46:33,539 --> 00:46:36,744
for tourism in the
world by Forbes in 2009.
490
00:46:37,544 --> 00:46:40,813
The zone is visited by
more than 70,000 people
491
00:46:40,846 --> 00:46:44,116
from all around the
world every year.
492
00:46:44,148 --> 00:46:46,752
This place of tragedy
became a legend.
493
00:46:46,784 --> 00:46:50,156
It is popular among
photographers and authors.
494
00:46:50,188 --> 00:46:54,059
It is also featured in
movies and video games.
495
00:46:54,091 --> 00:46:55,526
Even the illegal visitors
496
00:46:55,559 --> 00:46:58,662
began to sneak into
the no-go zone.
497
00:46:58,696 --> 00:47:00,131
Hunters and explorers
498
00:47:00,164 --> 00:47:02,633
who were looking for
an adrenaline rush
499
00:47:02,667 --> 00:47:05,736
or hoping to find scary
scenes and objects
500
00:47:05,768 --> 00:47:08,839
still enter the sites that
are strictly prohibited.
501
00:47:10,139 --> 00:47:11,574
It is said that
the town will fall
502
00:47:11,607 --> 00:47:15,710
completely into ruin on its
own in the next 20 years.
503
00:47:15,743 --> 00:47:18,481
The city that was
once so full of life,
504
00:47:18,513 --> 00:47:21,084
only left eerie memories.
505
00:47:21,116 --> 00:47:24,453
The city that once
represented hope and triumph
506
00:47:24,486 --> 00:47:27,855
represents today,
destruction and defeat.
507
00:47:28,856 --> 00:47:33,795
Pripyat was removed from the
maps. It became a dead city.
508
00:47:34,529 --> 00:47:35,697
However today,
509
00:47:35,730 --> 00:47:38,634
it seems that nature has started
to come back to life again.
510
00:48:03,721 --> 00:48:06,457
The impact on the surrounding
forest and wildlife
511
00:48:06,491 --> 00:48:09,361
also remains an area
of active research.
512
00:48:11,663 --> 00:48:14,366
In the immediate
aftermath of the accident,
513
00:48:14,399 --> 00:48:17,767
an area became known
as the 'red forest'.
514
00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:19,503
The high levels of radiation
515
00:48:19,537 --> 00:48:21,872
colored the pine
trees reddish brown
516
00:48:21,905 --> 00:48:26,409
after absorbing such deadly
high levels of radiation.
517
00:48:26,443 --> 00:48:28,478
It had to be cut down.
518
00:48:30,212 --> 00:48:33,382
The area's still believed to
be the most contaminated land
519
00:48:33,415 --> 00:48:34,717
on the planet.
520
00:48:34,750 --> 00:48:36,819
Land that will take
thousands of years
521
00:48:36,853 --> 00:48:38,422
to become healthy again.
522
00:48:41,789 --> 00:48:45,628
Today, the exclusion
zone is eerily quiet.
523
00:48:45,660 --> 00:48:48,664
But it also appears
full of life.
524
00:48:48,696 --> 00:48:52,500
Mother nature began
to reclaim this place.
525
00:48:52,532 --> 00:48:55,770
The region is filled with a
variety of wildlife and forest
526
00:48:55,802 --> 00:48:57,839
that have thrived and creeped in
527
00:48:57,871 --> 00:48:59,875
without interference
from humans.
528
00:49:00,775 --> 00:49:01,943
Other wild creatures
529
00:49:01,976 --> 00:49:04,444
that the people were so
determined to keep out
530
00:49:04,477 --> 00:49:06,547
started reappearing.
531
00:49:06,580 --> 00:49:08,815
Brown bears were seen
for the first time
532
00:49:08,847 --> 00:49:11,584
after being absent
for over a century.
533
00:49:12,352 --> 00:49:16,722
Wolves, deers, lynx,
beavers, boars, and elks
534
00:49:16,755 --> 00:49:19,458
have been seen to run free
in the dense woodlands
535
00:49:19,491 --> 00:49:21,693
that now surround the
silent power plant.
536
00:49:31,868 --> 00:49:34,705
The man-made disaster
that ruined this place
537
00:49:34,738 --> 00:49:38,709
turned it into a unique
sanctuary for wildlife.
538
00:49:49,019 --> 00:49:51,754
But despite the
dense vegetation,
539
00:49:51,786 --> 00:49:55,658
and even though this could
appear as pristine wilderness,
540
00:49:55,690 --> 00:49:57,426
it is not.
541
00:49:57,460 --> 00:50:01,431
It is still a contaminated
deserted wasteland.
542
00:50:01,464 --> 00:50:03,932
The area has recovered
to some extent,
543
00:50:03,965 --> 00:50:06,367
but is far from
returning to normal.
544
00:50:07,702 --> 00:50:10,572
The animals are
still radioactive.
545
00:50:10,604 --> 00:50:13,407
Yet due to the exclusion
of human activity,
546
00:50:13,441 --> 00:50:15,676
there are a lot
more of them now,
547
00:50:15,708 --> 00:50:17,911
and they are ruling the place.
548
00:50:18,712 --> 00:50:21,882
This is the bittersweet
paradox of this place.
549
00:50:23,716 --> 00:50:25,518
Three decades later,
550
00:50:25,551 --> 00:50:29,021
it is not certain how
radiation still is and will be
551
00:50:29,055 --> 00:50:32,524
affecting wildlife
in the years to come.
552
00:50:32,557 --> 00:50:34,860
But it seems that
nature can triumph;
553
00:50:36,495 --> 00:50:39,364
even when man has done
its best to destroy it.
554
00:50:41,699 --> 00:50:44,002
The Chernobyl power
plant continued operating
555
00:50:44,036 --> 00:50:45,738
after the accident.
556
00:50:45,770 --> 00:50:48,539
More than 10,000
people work there
557
00:50:48,572 --> 00:50:50,676
and appropriate conditions
had to be provided
558
00:50:50,708 --> 00:50:52,976
somewhere near the reactors.
559
00:50:53,010 --> 00:50:55,513
It took the government
about a month to decide
560
00:50:55,546 --> 00:50:57,716
what to do with the
damaged reactor.
561
00:50:58,749 --> 00:51:01,019
On May 20th, 1986,
562
00:51:01,051 --> 00:51:04,487
they finally decided to
conduct a unique project.
563
00:51:04,521 --> 00:51:07,758
It was going to be
hidden and sealed.
564
00:51:07,791 --> 00:51:10,794
An enormous reinforced
concrete and metal structure
565
00:51:10,826 --> 00:51:14,030
was built around the
damaged Unit Four.
566
00:51:14,063 --> 00:51:16,999
The sarcophagus intended
to act as a shield
567
00:51:17,031 --> 00:51:19,568
to contain the radiation.
568
00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:23,439
The giant structures'
construction took seven months.
569
00:51:23,471 --> 00:51:25,540
This was an enormous challenge
570
00:51:25,573 --> 00:51:28,676
where humans could work for
only a few minutes at a time
571
00:51:28,710 --> 00:51:31,545
without receiving a
fatal dose of radiation.
572
00:51:32,679 --> 00:51:33,847
In 1988,
573
00:51:33,880 --> 00:51:35,683
Soviet scientist revealed
574
00:51:35,717 --> 00:51:39,587
that it had only been designed
to last for 20 to 30 years.
575
00:51:40,587 --> 00:51:41,722
The Chernobyl power plant
576
00:51:41,754 --> 00:51:44,991
finally shut down
completely in 2000.
577
00:51:45,024 --> 00:51:48,861
However, the sarcophagus
condition was deteriorating.
578
00:51:48,895 --> 00:51:50,531
It began crumbling down
579
00:51:50,564 --> 00:51:53,633
and at a high probability
of collapsing.
580
00:51:53,666 --> 00:51:57,637
The magma at the reactors
core was still a threat.
581
00:51:57,670 --> 00:52:00,673
The government had to come
up with a replacement.
582
00:52:00,706 --> 00:52:03,375
What remains of the
reactor is now inside
583
00:52:03,408 --> 00:52:07,045
a massive 32,000 ton steel
containment structure
584
00:52:07,078 --> 00:52:09,515
deployed in 2016.
585
00:52:10,848 --> 00:52:15,018
The new safe confinement
began being built in 2010
586
00:52:15,052 --> 00:52:17,588
to cover the first sarcophagus.
587
00:52:17,620 --> 00:52:20,590
At that point it became the
largest land-based object
588
00:52:20,624 --> 00:52:24,896
ever moved by humans,
costing $2.3 billion.
589
00:52:26,630 --> 00:52:30,833
The area is safer, but
still highly radioactive
590
00:52:30,866 --> 00:52:35,404
and will likely remain as
such for up to 20,000 years.
591
00:52:36,906 --> 00:52:38,842
Both Chernobyl and Fukushima
592
00:52:38,875 --> 00:52:41,709
were level seven
nuclear accidents,
593
00:52:41,742 --> 00:52:43,778
but the health
consequences in Japan
594
00:52:43,812 --> 00:52:45,848
were much less severe.
595
00:52:45,881 --> 00:52:47,483
In part,
596
00:52:47,515 --> 00:52:50,051
because there was far more
radiation released at Chernobyl.
597
00:52:50,084 --> 00:52:52,520
And because the
Soviet plant's reactor
598
00:52:52,552 --> 00:52:55,623
was not surrounded by
any containment structure
599
00:52:55,656 --> 00:52:58,759
so radiation escaped freely.
600
00:52:58,793 --> 00:53:02,530
The disaster sparked criticism
of the Soviet government.
601
00:53:02,563 --> 00:53:06,066
It also fueled a global
anti-nuclear movement.
602
00:53:06,098 --> 00:53:07,734
Countries combined their efforts
603
00:53:07,767 --> 00:53:10,636
to fight against such
deadly consequences.
604
00:53:10,669 --> 00:53:11,837
Yet today,
605
00:53:11,870 --> 00:53:15,907
the disaster and its lessons
seem to be fading from memory
606
00:53:15,940 --> 00:53:20,712
but it is still a global
problem and it isn't over yet.
607
00:53:20,746 --> 00:53:23,581
11 RBMK nuclear reactors
608
00:53:23,614 --> 00:53:25,751
are still in use
in the world today.
609
00:53:26,617 --> 00:53:28,953
All of them in Russia.
610
00:53:30,455 --> 00:53:33,057
Although they were all
modified for safety,
611
00:53:33,089 --> 00:53:35,459
experts are still
researching ways
612
00:53:35,493 --> 00:53:37,929
to prevent further
nuclear disasters.
613
00:53:39,595 --> 00:53:41,864
On contrary to public belief,
614
00:53:41,898 --> 00:53:43,967
nuclear energy is
still considered
615
00:53:43,999 --> 00:53:48,505
the safest energy source in
comparison to other fossil fuels
616
00:53:48,537 --> 00:53:51,908
like coal, which is by
far the most dangerous.
617
00:53:53,042 --> 00:53:55,745
But it doesn't come
without a risk.
618
00:53:55,777 --> 00:53:58,580
Renewable energies are still
not talked about enough
619
00:53:58,614 --> 00:53:59,616
in Ukraine.
620
00:54:00,748 --> 00:54:03,785
Chernobyl also led to
an economic fallout.
621
00:54:04,751 --> 00:54:06,253
It has been estimated to cost
622
00:54:06,287 --> 00:54:09,957
around $235 billion in damages.
623
00:54:10,959 --> 00:54:13,462
The politicians were unprepared
624
00:54:13,494 --> 00:54:16,830
and unable to effectively
handle the aftermath.
625
00:54:16,864 --> 00:54:19,867
It undermined faith
in the whole system.
626
00:54:19,900 --> 00:54:22,036
Gorbachev himself
claimed that the accident
627
00:54:22,069 --> 00:54:25,639
was perhaps the real cause
of the Soviet Union collapse.
628
00:54:30,709 --> 00:54:32,978
Chernobyl revealed
the potential dangers
629
00:54:33,012 --> 00:54:37,684
and the true devastating
nature of nuclear energy.
630
00:54:37,716 --> 00:54:41,052
Chernobyl is a lesson
for the present.
631
00:54:41,085 --> 00:54:44,055
It warns us about the challenges
and high consequence risks
632
00:54:44,089 --> 00:54:47,659
of our ever evolving
modern society.
633
00:54:47,692 --> 00:54:49,795
As technology keeps progressing,
634
00:54:49,828 --> 00:54:52,696
it is important that we
assess and manage the risks
635
00:54:52,729 --> 00:54:55,232
that are big in
scale and complexity.
636
00:54:56,167 --> 00:54:59,838
We need to be able to
anticipate a global catastrophe.
637
00:55:00,905 --> 00:55:02,272
Chernobyl was one of the worst
638
00:55:02,305 --> 00:55:05,975
manmade and terrifying
disasters in history.
639
00:55:06,009 --> 00:55:08,878
Tens of thousands
of lives were ruined
640
00:55:08,911 --> 00:55:12,515
and too many people lost
loved ones because of it.
641
00:55:12,549 --> 00:55:14,717
But Chernobyl taught
us more importantly
642
00:55:14,750 --> 00:55:16,952
about the cost of lies
643
00:55:16,984 --> 00:55:19,053
by highlighting the
flaws of the system
644
00:55:19,087 --> 00:55:21,857
that revealed how they
can lead to disaster.
645
00:55:21,890 --> 00:55:23,692
And how the way we
tell information
646
00:55:23,725 --> 00:55:26,629
about what really
happened, can cause harm.
647
00:55:27,728 --> 00:55:29,664
If anything has been learned,
648
00:55:29,697 --> 00:55:31,733
it is that response
to such a disaster
649
00:55:31,766 --> 00:55:36,771
needs to be based on clear
facts, on science, and not fear.
650
00:55:38,572 --> 00:55:42,542
Being transparent in today's
society is a necessity
651
00:55:42,576 --> 00:55:44,611
because the truth
may be elusive,
652
00:55:44,643 --> 00:55:47,013
but consequences
certainly won't.
653
00:55:48,281 --> 00:55:50,716
We're all part of
the same planet.
654
00:55:50,749 --> 00:55:52,718
And when a world
disaster happens,
655
00:55:52,751 --> 00:55:54,653
it's countries and
their populations
656
00:55:54,686 --> 00:55:56,555
deserve to know
what is happening
657
00:55:56,588 --> 00:55:59,025
in order to avoid what
happened at Chernobyl.
658
00:56:00,592 --> 00:56:03,728
Proper knowledge, protocol
and equipment is necessary.
659
00:56:08,766 --> 00:56:10,735
It is also a great reminder
660
00:56:10,768 --> 00:56:14,005
that we must steer future
generations from any risk
661
00:56:14,038 --> 00:56:17,642
of another nuclear apocalypse.
662
00:56:22,678 --> 00:56:27,683
The past cannot be undone,
but we can learn from it.
663
00:56:28,417 --> 00:56:29,886
Chernobyl is a grave reminder
664
00:56:29,918 --> 00:56:33,623
of the power of nuclear
energy in the wrong hands
665
00:56:33,656 --> 00:56:36,025
and the consequences of lies.
666
00:56:50,350 --> 00:56:55,350
Provided by explosiveskull
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