The Chernobyl disaster occurred in the early hours of the morning, 26 April, 1986. Seven seconds after the operators activated the 20-second shut down system, there was a power surge. The chemical explosions that followed were so powerful that they blew the 1,000 ton cover off the top of the reactor.
Here are 28 images of Chernobyl now, almost 28 years after the nuclear disaster.
Entering the first zone of exclusion, around 30 kilometres from the main nuclear power plant.
Driving past a “samosely”. One of a few hundred people, who stayed behind after the evacuation in 1986.
Looking into the river running by the power plant. You can see two Catfish that are 8 feet in length.
A monument to liquidators, the brave people who fought the blaze at the power plant.
The welcome sign to Pripyat. It was supposed to be the atomic city of the future.
A cross placed at the entrance of the city.
Pripyat town square.
Walking through the overgrown city. In order to stay safe from radioactive activity, its best to avoid walking through natural growth.
Haunting photograph of an abandoned apartment block.
Visitors keep leaving money in the same spot, until one day someone decides to take it.
An old derelict school.
What appears to be a waiting room.
An old theatre.
The swimming pool. Those who play Call Of Duty will recognise this.
Bumper cars in a run down amusement park.
The iconic ferris wheel. The amusement park was due to open on May 1st, 1986, but was stopped by the nuclear meltdown on April 26th. The park was open for a couple of hours on the morning of the 27th, to distract the city people before the official announcement to evacuate the city was made.
The geiger counter goes of the scale when pointed at the cracks in the ground.
The ferris wheel, but closer up.
A gymnastics hall.
A shoe, eerily left in the middle of a room.
An overview of the town square.
A tree growing through the 6th floor of a building.
This machine measures radiation to make sure you are safe to leave the exclusion zone.
Its crazy to think that it will not be safe to return to Chernobyl and live there for another 25,000 years.
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