Cost of living: How three brave rescue divers prevented the second explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Chernobyl tragedy - the hardest test that befell our country. The first to take the blow after the explosion were liquidators, heroes who went to certain death in order to save thousands of people in the USSR and European countries at the cost of their own lives. The history of the disaster has been restored today literally by the minute, but few people know that the consequences of the accident could be many times worse. They managed to prevent the second explosion, which could wipe out most of the European continent. three brave rescuers … History has preserved their names - Alexey Ananenko, Valery Bespalov and Boris Baranov.

Few people know about the threat of a second explosion of a nuclear reactor, this information was not replicated for a long time, the possible consequences were too horrific. A new round of the tragedy unfolded on the fifth day after the first explosion, then it became clear: if decisive action is not taken, the catastrophe will claim even more lives and lead to the pollution of significant areas in Russia, Ukraine and Europe.

The temperature of the explosion was so high that the reactor (containing 185 tons of nuclear fuel) continued to melt at an incredible rate, getting closer and closer to the water tank, which was used as a coolant. It was obvious that if a red-hot reactor came into contact with water, a powerful steam explosion would form. Later, while investigating the problem, Soviet scientists suggested that the possible area of pollution could reach 200 square meters. km, modern experts are inclined to argue that it would take about 500 thousand years to eliminate the consequences of radioactive contamination from a potential explosion.

When the rescuers realized what a steam explosion threatened, a decision was made to save humanity at any cost. The main task of the liquidators was to drain the water from the reservoir, drain it faster than the reactor core gets to it. Among the rescuers they chose volunteers who were ready to give their lives to save the whole planet, they turned out to be three engineers. Everyone understood: it would not be possible to survive in this radioactive meat grinder, the irradiation would be instantaneous, but human strength should have been enough to dive to the depth, find the required valve and, opening the valves, drain the water. The shift supervisor used a waterproof flashlight to point in the right direction. In its dim light, divers were not able to find the valves on their first try. The efforts were not in vain, the goal was achieved, and people were able to return to the surface in complete darkness (by that time the lantern had finally gone out).

Aleksey Ananenko, Valery Bespalov and Boris Baranov had enough strength to get out of the deadly reservoir. The heroes were greeted with ovations and shouts of joy, because their inhuman efforts helped save millions of people. The natural drainage of the tank continued for a day, after which it became clear that the rescue operation was performed flawlessly.

The echoes of the Chernobyl tragedy reach us. You can find out what the exclusion zone looks like today from the photo cycle "Chernobyl 30 years later"