Nuclear and Radiation Accidents

A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility. Examples include lethal effects to individuals, large radioactivity release to the environment, or reactor core melt."

The prime example of a "major nuclear accident" is one in which a reactor core is damaged and large amounts of radiation are released, such as in the Chernobyl Disaster in 1986.

Serious radiation accidents include:

the radiotherapy accident in Costa Rica,

radiotherapy accident in Zaragoza,

radiation accident in Morocco,

Goiania accident,

radiation accident in Mexico City,

radiotherapy unit accident in Thailand,

and the Mayapuri radiological accident in India.


*List of major accidents in Nuclear Power Plants:

Idaho Falls, Idaho, US (1961):

Explosion at SL-1, National Reactor Testing Station. All 3 operators killed when rod was removed too far causing criticality surge and steam explosion. An additional 1,100 Curies were released as fission products to the atmosphere, but due to the remoteness, most of it was recovered and buried.

Pripyat, Ukraine (1986) / Chernobyl Disaster:

Steam explosion and meltdown necessitating the evacuation of 300,000 people from Kiev and dispersing radioactive material across Europe

Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan (2011):

Cooling failure in 4 reactors following an earthquake, tsunami and multiple fires at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant.