The long-term effects of the disaster have been felt across Europe, with increased rates of cancer and other illnesses reported in the years following the accident.
Above: Dosimetrists measure radiation at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
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The long-term effects of the disaster have been felt across Europe, with increased rates of cancer and other illnesses reported in the years following the accident.
Above: Dosimetrists measure radiation at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
© Sputnik / Vitaliy Ankov / Go to the mediabank
The cleanup and containment efforts took years and involved the construction of a massive concrete sarcophagus around the damaged reactor to prevent further releases of radioactive material.
Above: Treatment of the area of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with a decontaminating solution.
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The cleanup and containment efforts took years and involved the construction of a massive concrete sarcophagus around the damaged reactor to prevent further releases of radioactive material.
Above: Treatment of the area of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with a decontaminating solution.
© Sputnik / Vitaliy Ankov / Go to the mediabank
The environmental impact of the accident has been significant, with large areas of land and water still contaminated with radioactive materials.
Above: Decontamination post worker at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site after accident.
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The environmental impact of the accident has been significant, with large areas of land and water still contaminated with radioactive materials.
Above: Decontamination post worker at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site after accident.
© Sputnik / Vitaliy Ankov / Go to the mediabank
The accident occurred during a safety test of the reactor, which resulted in a steam explosion, followed by a fire that released a significant amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
Above: A helicopter takes radiological measurements over the Chernobyl NPP building after accident.
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The accident occurred during a safety test of the reactor, which resulted in a steam explosion, followed by a fire that released a significant amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
Above: A helicopter takes radiological measurements over the Chernobyl NPP building after accident.
© Sputnik / Vitaly Ankov / Go to the mediabankDosimetric chemists at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant during the emergency response.
5/18 / Go to the mediabankDosimetric chemists at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant during the emergency response.© Sputnik / Igor Kostin / Go to the mediabank
A group of liquidators gears up to go to the roof of the Chernobyl reactor after the accident.
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A group of liquidators gears up to go to the roof of the Chernobyl reactor after the accident.
© Sputnik / Igor Kostin
The surrounding area remains largely abandoned, with only a few hundred people living within the exclusion zone.
Above: Surveyors measure radiation levels near Chernobyl NPP after the accident.
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The surrounding area remains largely abandoned, with only a few hundred people living within the exclusion zone.
Above: Surveyors measure radiation levels near Chernobyl NPP after the accident.
© Sputnik / Vitaliy Ankov / Go to the mediabankA passenger car leaving the Chernobyl disaster zone is decontaminated at a specially created facility.
8/18 / Go to the mediabankA passenger car leaving the Chernobyl disaster zone is decontaminated at a specially created facility.© Sputnik / V. Chistiakov / Go to the mediabank
A Mi-26 helicopter with radiation surveyors on board monitors the post-disaster conditions around the Chernobyl plant.
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A Mi-26 helicopter with radiation surveyors on board monitors the post-disaster conditions around the Chernobyl plant.
© Sputnik / Igor Kostin / Go to the mediabank
Specialists deployed to clean up the accident at Chernobyl's Unit No. 4.
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Specialists deployed to clean up the accident at Chernobyl's Unit No. 4.
© Sputnik / Yuriy Ivanov / Go to the mediabankA child from the village of Chudyany, affected by radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident.
11/18 / Go to the mediabankA child from the village of Chudyany, affected by radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident.© Sputnik / Igor Kostin
The contamination of soil, water, and vegetation had a long-lasting effect on the ecosystem and the agriculture in the affected areas.
Above: Dosimetrists in special suits monitor radiation in fields in the vicinity of the Chernobyl NPP accident.
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The contamination of soil, water, and vegetation had a long-lasting effect on the ecosystem and the agriculture in the affected areas.
Above: Dosimetrists in special suits monitor radiation in fields in the vicinity of the Chernobyl NPP accident.
© Sputnik / Igor Kostin / Go to the mediabankDecontamination work to reduce radioactive contamination levels in the 30-km zone following the Chernobyl NPP accident.
13/18 / Go to the mediabankDecontamination work to reduce radioactive contamination levels in the 30-km zone following the Chernobyl NPP accident.© Sputnik / Igor Kostin / Go to the mediabank
The radioactive material released into the atmosphere contaminated an area of approximately 4,000 square kilometers, primarily in Ukraine and Belarus.
Above: Specialists from a helicopter take water samples from the Chernobyl NPP reactor coolers after the disaster.
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The radioactive material released into the atmosphere contaminated an area of approximately 4,000 square kilometers, primarily in Ukraine and Belarus.
Above: Specialists from a helicopter take water samples from the Chernobyl NPP reactor coolers after the disaster.
© Sputnik / Maruschenko / Go to the mediabank
The disaster's immediate aftermath resulted in the evacuation of over 100,000 people from the surrounding area, and the creation of an exclusion zone around the power plant.
Above: Locals being evacuated from the 30-kilometer zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Residents of the Kiev region say goodbye to each other and to their homes.
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The disaster's immediate aftermath resulted in the evacuation of over 100,000 people from the surrounding area, and the creation of an exclusion zone around the power plant.
Above: Locals being evacuated from the 30-kilometer zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Residents of the Kiev region say goodbye to each other and to their homes.
© Sputnik / Igor Kostin / Go to the mediabank
The streets of Pripyat, in the Kiev region, fenced off with barbed wire after the Chernobyl accident.
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The streets of Pripyat, in the Kiev region, fenced off with barbed wire after the Chernobyl accident.
© Sputnik / Vladimir Vyatkin / Go to the mediabank
Chernobyl accident victim being treated at the 6th City Clinical Hospital of the USSR's Ministry of Health.
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Chernobyl accident victim being treated at the 6th City Clinical Hospital of the USSR's Ministry of Health.
© Sputnik / Igor KostinA decontamination officer treats a building with a radioactive dust preservation solution near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. 
18/18A decontamination officer treats a building with a radioactive dust preservation solution near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
