17.3.2016 (#76): AFTER THE DISASTER by Myron Lysenko

The worst nuclear power plant disaster in history
resulted in casualties and long term contamination.

Two workers died on the night,

28 operators and firemen died from radiation

and thermal burns within weeks.

Fifteen patients, many of them firemen
later died from thyroid cancer.

Cancer deaths among the workers

who received the greatest exposure

while cleaning up the disaster

may reach a total of 4,000.

There have been 7,000 reported cases of thyroid cancer,

mostly children living in the area

and at least fifteen of these children have died

after drinking milk from contaminated cows.

Three and a half million people,

nearly one-third of them children,

are affected by the disaster.

160,000 have been resettled,

and 50,000 families have lost their homes. 

There will be birth defects for generations
and the food chain of Europe is contaminated.
Nobody knows the hidden consequences.

200 tons of hardened nuclear fuel and rubbish

remains so radioactive that scientists cannot go near it.

The total area contaminated by the Chornobyl disaster

15,000 square miles will be affected for the next 300 years.

Child's gas mask and slipper at the kindergarten

REVISED DRAFT 20th March 2016:

AFTER THE DISASTER                                                                


The worst nuclear power plant
disaster in history resulted in casualties
and long term contamination.

Two workers were killed immediately,

28 operators and firemen died
from radiation within weeks.

Fifteen others, many of them firemen
who tried to minimize the mess
later died from thyroid cancer.

Cancer deaths among those
with the greatest exposure

estimated to exceed four thousand.

7,000 cases of thyroid cancer,

Mainly in children, fifteen of whom died

after drinking contaminated milk.

Three and a half million people,

nearly one-third of them children,

are affected by the disaster.

160,000 residents have been resettled,

and fifty thousand families
have lost their homes. 

Birth defects for generations,
contaminated food chain of Europe.
No-one knows the hidden consequences.

Two hundred tons of hardened nuclear fuel
and rubbish remains so radioactive that scientists
refuse to go near it.

15,000 square miles contaminated
by the Chornobyl accident will be affected
at least for another three hundred years.