The Chernobyl disaster...

Fast Facts

Date

4/26/1986

Location

Pripyat, Ukraine, USSR

Site

Chernobyl Nuclear Plant, Reactor No. 4

Cause

Reactor explosion

Motive

Accidental

International Nuclear Event Scale

7 - Major Accident

Area

200,000 square kilometers

Estimated Related Deaths

4,000

Estimated Disaster Amount

700,000 cubic meters

Estimated Cost

$18.8 billion