40 Years Since Chernobyl

The worst-case scenario that changed the world forever

The aerial photograph taken just a few days after the meltdown shows the full force of the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.(Bild: APA-Images / AP)

Forty years ago, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered the worst accident in the history of nuclear energy. Following an uncontrolled chain reaction, Reactor Unit 4 exploded—with catastrophic consequences for the world. 

It was a simple routine safety test that changed the world forever on the night of April 26, 1986. A simulated power outage was intended to demonstrate that the Lenin Nuclear Power Plant in Chernobyl could produce enough energy to ensure the reactor’s emergency cooling even without external power.