OUT OF CONTROL: HISTORY’S WORST NUCLEAR DISASTER

The briefing

On the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, this feature recounts the catastrophic failure of a 1986 safety test that led to the world's worst nuclear accident. The explosion released massive amounts of radiation across Europe, permanently displacing hundreds of thousands of people and creating an exclusion zone that remains dangerous today. The article also reviews other major nuclear events, including the Fukushima and Three Mile Island accidents.