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As a result, nuclear fuel vaporized and a steam bubble was created. This error caused the reactor to go critical and its power to surge 6,000 times higher than its normal level in less than a second. They lifted the central control rod 20 inches, instead of the four inches that was required. On January 3, 1961, workers were in the process of reattaching to their drive mechanisms control rods they had disconnected earlier that day to enable test equipment to be inserted in the reactor core. The withdrawal of a single control rod caused a catastrophic power surge and steam explosion at the SL-1 boiling water reactor that killed all the workers on duty at the time. The fires that broke out in the building contributed to the extensive radioactive releases. Consequently, a sudden power surge resulted in explosions and nearly complete destruction of the reactor. This lack of awareness led the operators to engage in actions that diverged from safety procedures. Workers did not implement adequate safety precautions or alert operators to the electrical test’s risks. A test was conducted to determine the plant equipment’s ability to provide sufficient electrical power to operate the reactor core cooling system and emergency equipment during the transition period between a loss of main station electrical power supply and the start-up of the emergency power supply. Unit 4 was to be shut down for routine maintenance. As a result of the disaster, approximately 220,000 people had to be relocated from their homes. Massive amounts of radiation escaped and spread across the western Soviet Union and Europe. It occurred on April 26, 1986, when a sudden surge in power during a reactor systems test resulted in an explosion and fire that destroyed Unit 4. Chernobyl, Ukraine (former Soviet Union), April 26, 1986Ĭhernobyl is considered the world’s worst nuclear disaster to date.