CHERNOBYL: Point Blank Range

A PowerPoint by Colin James Fuller

April 26th, 1986 – 01:23:39 a.m.

The citizens of Chernobyl rest quietly within their homes, some more so than others as the reign of the Soviet Union is at its peak, and like many other communist controlled cities, Chernobyl is no exception to the rule. Little do the citizens of this particular city know that their lives are about to change forever, for unbeknownst to them, the entire city is about to experience a cataclysmic event that would still effect them twenty-one years later.

April 26th, 1986 – 01:23:40 a.m.

At precisely 01:23:40 a.m., the forth reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant erupts into a massive explosion of fire and toxic chemicals, which spew into the skies above Chernobyl. The power plant workers are immediately incinerated in the blast, while a hail of vile toxins and scorching flames rain down upon the unsuspecting city. Many people are oblivious in their slumber as they fall prey to the airborne death.

April 26th, 1986 - 02:11:37 a.m.

Soviet officials arrive within less than an hour, but by this time the city is already in complete chaos. People are being burned alive, riots are erupting left and right, and a thick cloud of toxic chemicals looms above the city rooftops. There is little anyone can do to restore order to the city in its current state, but an attempt is made to evacuate as many citizens as possible before the death toll climbs any higher. Thus massive throngs of people are hastily moved away from the burning city, but there is little to be done for those already suffering.

November 15th, 2007 – 17:52:04 p.m.

As of November 15th, 2007, the death toll of the incident of Chernobyl has numbered over 450,000 people and it is still climbing to this day. Countless others are still suffering from the infliction of toxic chemicals that were spewed into the atmosphere when the reactor erupted, and an ongoing attempt to decontaminate this hazard has been in the works since the initial fallout. Officials have stated, “…Apart from the still closed, highly contaminated 30 km (19 mile) area surrounding the reactor and some closed lakes and restricted forests, radiation levels have mostly returned to acceptable levels." However, there is still little that can be done for the chemicals continuing to drift through our atmosphere, and many cities across Asia, Europe, and even eastern parts of North America have been forced to evacuate to avoid contamination.

Bibliography• http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.html• http://www.uic.com.au/nip22.htm• http://library.thinkquest.org/3426/• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456957/html/nn1page1.stm• http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/chernobyl.html