01-05-2023 15:00
37 years ago, on April 26, the worst nuclear disaster in history happened and it caused radioactive contamination in Eastern Europe.
Chernobyl nuclear power plant is located about 100 kilometers north of Kyiv. The accident happened during a safety test in the fourth reactor of the plant. The explosion sent nuclear material across Europe. 31 people died immediately and up to 115,000 people died of radiation-related illnesses. Tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes. Last week, former workers and survivors remembered the anniversary with a night vigil.
The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, warned that Russia was using nuclear power plants as a way to threaten the world. During the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its troops took over Chernobyl and stayed there for a month before leaving.
Difficult words: contamination (making something impure or poisoned), survivor (someone who lives after something bad happens), vigil (an event when people stay quietly in a place).
You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.
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