On April 26, 1986, a reactor exploded at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. It was the worst nuclear disaster in history. Tens of thousands of area residents left their belongings and fled. Despite official warnings that it remained too dangerous, some returned. 20 years after the explosion, in 2006, they struggled to continue their lives.
The disaster continues to reverberate. According to researchers, thousands more are likely to die of cancers caused by radiation from the explosion.
