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| Ukraine marks 30th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster | Ukraine marks 30th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Ukraine has begun commemorations to mark the 30th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. | Ukraine has begun commemorations to mark the 30th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. |
| Sirens were sounded at the same moment as the first explosion at the reactor, in the early hours of 26 April 1986. | Sirens were sounded at the same moment as the first explosion at the reactor, in the early hours of 26 April 1986. |
| The meltdown at the plant remains the worst nuclear disaster in history. | The meltdown at the plant remains the worst nuclear disaster in history. |
| An uncontrolled reaction blew the roof off, spewing out a cloud of radioactive material which drifted across Ukraine's borders, into Russia, Belarus and across a swathe of northern Europe. | An uncontrolled reaction blew the roof off, spewing out a cloud of radioactive material which drifted across Ukraine's borders, into Russia, Belarus and across a swathe of northern Europe. |
| A memorial service was held in the town of Slavutych, built to re-house workers who lived near the nuclear plant. | |
| Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko is due to attend a ceremony near the site and a church service will be held in Kiev for the families of victims. | |
| Some former residents returned to the area, now derelict and overgrown, ahead of the anniversary. | Some former residents returned to the area, now derelict and overgrown, ahead of the anniversary. |
| Zoya Perevozchenko, 66, lived in Pripyat, the town inhabited by Chernobyl workers which was abandoned in the wake of the accident. | Zoya Perevozchenko, 66, lived in Pripyat, the town inhabited by Chernobyl workers which was abandoned in the wake of the accident. |
| She told Reuters news agency: "I barely found my apartment, I mean it's a forest now - trees growing through the pavement, on the roofs. All the rooms are empty, the glass is gone from the windows and everything's destroyed. | She told Reuters news agency: "I barely found my apartment, I mean it's a forest now - trees growing through the pavement, on the roofs. All the rooms are empty, the glass is gone from the windows and everything's destroyed. |
| Levels of radioactivity remain high in the surrounding area. A charity, Bridges to Belarus, is warning that a number of babies in a region close to Ukraine's border are still being born with serious deformities, while an unusually high rate of people have rare forms of cancer. | Levels of radioactivity remain high in the surrounding area. A charity, Bridges to Belarus, is warning that a number of babies in a region close to Ukraine's border are still being born with serious deformities, while an unusually high rate of people have rare forms of cancer. |
| Donors around the world pledged €87.5m (£68m; $99m) on Monday towards a new underground nuclear waste facility in the region. Ukraine will need to commit a further €10m in order to complete the new storage site. | Donors around the world pledged €87.5m (£68m; $99m) on Monday towards a new underground nuclear waste facility in the region. Ukraine will need to commit a further €10m in order to complete the new storage site. |
| Work began in 2010 on a 25,000-tonne, €2.1bn sarcophagus to seal the uranium left in the damaged reactor, thought to be about 200 tonnes. | Work began in 2010 on a 25,000-tonne, €2.1bn sarcophagus to seal the uranium left in the damaged reactor, thought to be about 200 tonnes. |
| Experts fear that if parts of the aging reactor collapse, further radioactive material could be spewed into the atmosphere. | Experts fear that if parts of the aging reactor collapse, further radioactive material could be spewed into the atmosphere. |
| The number of people killed by the disaster remains disputed. It is thought that about 30 people died in the initial meltdown and rescue operation, and a UN report published in 2005 estimated that up to 4,000 people could eventually be killed by related illnesses. | The number of people killed by the disaster remains disputed. It is thought that about 30 people died in the initial meltdown and rescue operation, and a UN report published in 2005 estimated that up to 4,000 people could eventually be killed by related illnesses. |
| But Greenpeace has said the UN figure is a underestimate. | But Greenpeace has said the UN figure is a underestimate. |