Why did the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explode?

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 atmosphere and downwind – some 5200 PBq (I-131 eq). read more

In the early morning hours of April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine (formerly part of the Soviet Union) exploded, creating what has been described as the worst nuclear disaster the world has ever seen. read more

Though much has been made of the lack of a “safety culture,” lack of containment, and violations of procedures by operators, the specific cause of the Chernobyl explosion and subsequent release of radioactive material from the Chernobyl reactor was a shutdown system that initiated a positive reactivity accident. read more

[Infographic: Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster 25 Years Later] But that's not to suggest that the area has returned to normal, or will at any point in the near future. Because of the long-lived radiation in the region surrounding the former Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the area won't be safe for human habitation for at least 20,000 years. read more