ABSTRACT
Chernobyl was in many ways an unprecedented accident. Few events have cast such a long and dark shadow over such a wide area, created such a range of serious short-term problems, and commanded so much instant media attention and intense public interest around the world. We have explored the pressing problems of sealing the damaged reactor, evacuating local residents and providing medical attention to the injured in Chapters Three and Four. In Chapters Four to Six we saw how different countries coped with the immediate problems of fallout, exposure and contamination (of people and foodstuffs).
