World’s Worst Nuclear Accidents

%28Photo%20Credit%3A%20Associated%20Press%29%0D%0AIn%20this%20Nov.%2010%2C%202000%20file%20photo%2C%20the%20control%20room%20with%20its%20damaged%20machinery%20is%20seen%20inside%20reactor%20No.%204%20in%20the%20Chernobyl%20nuclear%20power%20plant.%20Geiger%20counters%20registered%20about%2080%2C000%20microroentgens%20an%20hour%2C%2016%2C000%20times%20the%20safe%20limit.%20Reactor%20No.%204%20at%20the%20Chernobyl%20nuclear%20power%20plant%20in%20Ukraine%2C%20then%20part%20of%20the%20Soviet%20Union%2C%20exploded%20on%20April%2026%2C%201986%2C%20sending%20a%20cloud%20of%20radiation%20over%20much%20of%20Europe.%20Around%20200%20people%20died%20after%20a%20ruptured%20reactor%20vessel%20and%20fire%20caused%20an%20explosion%2C%20resulting%20in%20the%20release%20into%20the%20environment%20of%20radioactive%20materials.%20Researchers%20tracking%20an%20increase%20in%20the%20number%20of%20thyroid%20cancer%20cases%20in%20the%20region%20believe%20the%20rise%20is%20related%20to%20the%20Chernobyl%20accident.%20However%2C%20the%20long-term%20health%20impact%20on%20local%20residents%20is%20still%20unclear%20and%20experts%20believe%20it%20will%20take%20years%20to%20quantify.%20%0D%0A

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On%20March%206%2C%202006%2C%20the%20nuclear%20plant%20at%20Erwin%2C%20Tenn.%2C%20suffered%20a%20uranium%20leak%20which%20led%20to%20the%20contamination%20of%201%2C000%20people.%0D%0A

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%28Photo%20Credit%3A%20Getty%20Images%29%0D%0AThe%20Japanese%20town%20of%20Tokaimura%20was%20the%20scene%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20worst%20nuclear%20accident%20since%20the%201986%20Chernobyl%20reactor%20explosion.%20On%20September%2030%2C%201999%2C%20an%20accident%20at%20the%20uranium%20processing%20plant%20killed%20two%20workers%20and%20more%20than%20600%20people%20got%20exposed%20to%20moderate%20levels%20of%20radiation.%20A%20subsequent%20investigation%20turned%20up%20evidence%20of%20fraud%20and%20safety%20lapses.%0D%0A