On May 2, 1986, six days after the explosion at Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the city of Chernobyl was officially evacuated. While the nearby town of Pripyat had been evacuated on April 27, the full evacuation of surrounding areas including the city of Chernobyl itself took place gradually over several days, with May 2 marking one of the final major evacuations.
The delay in evacuation exposed thousands to dangerously high levels of radiation and has been widely criticized in the decades since. The Chernobyl disaster remains one of the worst nuclear accidents in history and had long lasting environmental, political, and health consequences.
Fun fact: Many of the residents believed they would be gone for just a few days and left their belongings behind, not realizing they would never return to their homes.
The delay in evacuation exposed thousands to dangerously high levels of radiation and has been widely criticized in the decades since. The Chernobyl disaster remains one of the worst nuclear accidents in history and had long lasting environmental, political, and health consequences.
Fun fact: Many of the residents believed they would be gone for just a few days and left their belongings behind, not realizing they would never return to their homes.
