Chernobyl +20

Lots of coverage this week on the 20th anniversary of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Russia (then the Soviet Union), the world's worst nuclear accident.

Many heartbreaking stories and photos of the lasting effect of radiation from the plant explosion.

I am a supporter of nuclear energy as an alternative to oil. But no one can dispute the dangers inherent and the need for absolute safety.

Writes the AP: "The April 26, 1986, pre-dawn explosion and fire became the world's worst nuclear accident, spewing radiation across vast stretches of Europe. It cast a radioactive shadow over the health of millions of people; many believe it contributed to the Soviet Union's eventual collapse."

As for the human toll:
"Death tolls connected to the blast remain hotly debated, as do the long-term health effects.

"Thousands have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, one of the only internationally accepted illnesses linked to Chernobyl, and the U.N. health agency said about 9,300 people were likely to die of cancers caused by radiation.

"Some groups, however, including Greenpeace, have warned that death tolls could be 10 times higher and accused the U.N. of whitewashing the long-term effects of the accident in order to restore trust in the safety of atomic power.

"About 350,000 people were evacuated from their homes following the explosion, never to return. A whole city, Pripyat, and dozens of villages were left to decay, and experts say some may not be habitable again for centuries, perhaps even longer."

Chernobyl Disaster Anniversary [Yahoo Full Coverage]