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In the following days that ensued, a huge effort was made to put out the fire that had been caused by the explosion in Unit 4 and to cover up the exposed reactor which was sending clouds or nuclear waste into the sky. 100 firemen were sent into action and 1800 helicopter flights were made, dumping sand and dirt on the core in efforts to quench the fire, but despite these efforts the fire burned for a whole 11 days. [1,4] 116,000 people and 60,000 cattle were immediately evacuated from the nearby town of Pripyat (about 2km away from the reactor), and from the surrounding areas. Engineer’s quickly designed and constructed a concrete barrier (now called the ‘sarcophagus’) around the reactor in attempts to contain radioactive particles. It is still standing mostly intact along with the rest of the town of Pripyat, which is still a ghost town of sorts. There are fears that this concrete structure will crack and collapse, furthering the harmful environmental effects, but it is a difficult thing to fix because of the danger associated with radiation. |
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