Ukraine will mark the 35th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant explosion on April 26. The explosion of reactor No. 4 of the plant in the early morning hours of April 26, 1986, is still regarded as the worst nuclear power disaster.
Three towns and nearby villages populated by hundreds of thousands of people were abandoned after the disaster. The death toll remains in dispute. At least 28 firefighters were killed in the disaster, while the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates 4,000 to 27,000 deaths due to radiation-related illnesses since then.
Today, the 2,600 square kilometer exclusion zone attracts thousands of tourists and soon will be one of the most-visited places by foreigners in Ukraine. More than 124,000 tourists visited it in 2019. Meanwhile, the zone has become a nature reserve, thriving with wildlife.
Chernobyl New Safe Confinement
