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Summary Ukraine opened the sealed zone around Chernobyl reactor to visitors who wish to learn about tragedy.
Beginning January this year, Ukraine opened up the sealed zone around the Chernobyl reactor to visitors who wish to learn more about the tragedy that occurred nearly a quarter of a century ago.Chernobyls reactor No 4 exploded on April 26, 1986, spewing radiation over a large swath of northern Europe. Hundreds of thousands of people were resettled from areas contaminated with radiation fallout in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. Related health problems still exist.The so-called exclusion zone, a highly contaminated area within a 48-kilometer radius of the exploded reactor, was evacuated and sealed off in the aftermath of the explosion. All visits were prohibited.The Ukraines Emergency Situations Ministry is now in charge of the whole area. According to the regulations, all the visitors entering the exclusion zone should take vehicles provided by the Emergency Situations Ministry and visit only parts of the zone under the guidance of the tour guide. The visitors will not be allowed to wander around or touch anything in the area because the radiation in parts of the places still exceeds normal standard.The ministry also said that the aim of opening such tour is to remind people the importance of nuclear safety to the world peace.
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