What Are the Dangers of Nuclear Accidents?

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In chinoble, fire fighters received a dose of radiation so high that some of them died. Children who were living in the local area at the time of the accident are now developing thyroid cancer. The exclusion zone around chinoble has been repopulated by creatures evactually benefited from people moving out of the exclusion zone and certain types of species are thriving.

Last week, a team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant was seized by Russian forces in early May and has recently been the target of sustained shelling, increasing the risk of a nuclear disaster. The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, who is leading the inspection team, has reported that the integrity of the plant has been violated several times. Ian Sample speaks to Prof Claire Corkhill about what this could mean for Zaporizhzhia, what the risks are if the plant loses external power, and how a nuclear meltdown can be avoided. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod