Episode 1

On 26 April 1986, a massive explosion rocked the Chernobyl nuclear plant, killing workers and blasting radioactive dust into the atmosphere. The 50,000 residents of nearby Pripyat knew nothing until local officials ordered a full evacuation 36 hours later. The worst nuclear accident in history spread radiation across Northern Europe, yet the Soviet State tried to cover it up. Survivors recall those first catastrophic days.