April 26, 1986
V.P. Bryukhanov, Director of Chernobyl NPP, 'On the Accident at V. I. Lenin Chernobyl NPP'
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Concerning the accident at the
V. I. Lenin Chernobyl' AEhS
At 0125 26 April 1986 an explosion occurred at power unit Nº 4 of the V. I. Lenin Chernobyl' AEhS in Kiev Oblast' during preparations of the unit for planned repair work.
As a result of the explosion the roof and the walls of the upper part of the reactor building collapsed, and also part of the cover of the machine room. A fire broke out in the area of the explosion which was localized at 0450 and put out by subunits of the fire protection service at 0600.
About 200 service personnel were at the station during the period of the accident. Nine of them received burns of various degrees, one person (surname unknown) died in a medical unit at 0600, and three are in serious condition. In addition, 34 people who took part in putting out the fire (nine of them were workers of the fire service) were delivered to the medical unit for observation. At 0800 the location of the senior operator of the reactor shop, V. I. Khodemchuk, could not be established.
At 0300 the radiation level in the city was 4-14 microroentgens a second, and at 0700 it had dropped to 2-4 mkr/sec.
In direct proximity to the place of the accident, [it is] up to 1000 mkr/sec. Power unit 3 has been stopped in connection with the accident situation at power unit 4. Power units 1 and 2 are operating in normal mode.
[Faded handwriting in the left margin: "As of 1200 [1?]05 people are being observed"]/
The reason for the accident and the material damage are being established by a government commission.
The situation at the city of Pripyat' and the adjoining population centers is normal. [inserted by hand: "Public order is being ensured"]. The level of radiation is being monitored.
DIRECTOR OF THE CHAES V. P. BRYUKHANOV
[signature]
A brief report of the facts of the accident, including death of one unnamed person, hospitalization of 34, including 9 fireman, disappearance of the chief reactor operator Khodemchuk. Followed by reporting radiation levels in the aftermath of the accident.
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