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What caused the nuclear accident at Chernobyl?

In April 1986, two explosions rocked Unit 4 of the V. I. Lenin nuclear power station at Chernobyl, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) east of Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). The worst nuclear power plant disaster in history, the accident at Chernobyl was the result of human error. While plant operators were running tests, they made mistakes that caused the radioactive core to heat to more than 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit and produce molten metal. As the metal reacted with cooling water, it made hydrogen gas and steam, which exploded and blew the roof off of the plant. The explosion sent radioactive gasses and materials more than half a mile into the air.

The cloud of gas polluted the immediate area with radiation, then was carried over Eastern Europe and the Scandinavian countries (Lapland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland). Radiation...

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