If you're old enough to remember this,
it was a scary moment in history.
If you relived it through movies
and documentaries.
It seems almost impossible to grasp.
But imagine yourself there,
standing right in the middle of where
this horrific tragedy took place.
In April of 1986,
a reactor at Chernobyl's
nuclear power plant exploded,
killing 31 people
and affecting about 115,000 people.
If you find yourself
standing in one of the most polluted
places in the world
and you want to survive,
follow these steps.
The good news is that you will not be in
any immediate danger
due to radioactive material.
Most of the dangerous material
has disappeared from the environment,
and it is possible to visit
Chernobyl today.
In 2019, 124,423 people
visited Chernobyl as tourists.
Today, the amount of radiation
you will be exposed to
will be very similar
to the radiation levels
of a transatlantic flight.
But other long lasting
radioactive elements,
including strontium-90 and cesium-137,
may be lingering around
in the exclusion zone in hot spots
such as the Red Forest.
The exclusion zone
is an approximately 30 km (19 mi)
radius of land immediately
surrounding the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant,
where radioactive contamination
from nuclear fallout is highest.
This area includes
both parts of Belarus and Ukraine.
Staff will check you
for radiation exposure
as you enter and exit the region
and during the tour
at random checkpoints
to ensure you are safe.
But it's a good idea to know
all the symptoms of high exposure,
including nausea,
red skin and tanned skin.
If you observe any of the symptoms,
get help and leave the area immediately.
As you explore the area,
be extra alert not to enter any hotspots.
Do not touch anything
during the official tour.
Do not sit anywhere
and do not place
any of your belongings on the ground.
The soil in Chernobyl
may still contain radioactive
particles and disturbing it
may lead to you or others
getting exposed to radiation.
Should you be on the lookout
for mutant animals
roaming around the area?
Shortly after the explosion,
the pine forest near the plant
pretty much died off
as all the leaves turned red.
That is how we got the name Red Forest.
As for the animals,
very few survived.
Fast forward to today,
and there is a resurgence of wildlife
all around the area.
You could find brown bears,
bison,
wolves, lynx and more than
200 bird species there.
Try to purchase enough food
and water for your visit.
If that is not an option,
ensure you buy food
from official establishments
that sell healthy
and preferably not
radioactive food and water.
Soon after the disaster,
plant workers were exposed to radiation
levels of 8,000 to 16,000 mSv.
That much exposure is equivalent to
80,000 to 160,000 chest X-rays.
Keeping your skin covered
is generally a good idea.
Wear long sleeves, long pants,
and closed shoes.
This will prevent higher exposure
from radioactive material
and reduce the possibility
of skin damage.
If you are exposed to
radioactive material,
it is crucial to remove it from your body
as soon as possible.
Or, in other words,
decontaminate yourself.
Remove the outer layer of your clothing,
especially if it has been contaminated.
Wash yourself off.
Use soap and be very gentle.
Do not scald, scrub
or scratch your skin.
Your skin is protecting you
from the radioactive material,
so you do not want anything
penetrating inside.
Wash your hair with shampoo or soap.
Do not use conditioner
as this will stick radioactive
material to your hair.
Keep cuts and abrasions
covered at all times.
You do not want any of
the radioactive material
getting into any open wounds.
If you have clean clothes
that have not been exposed
to radioactive waste,
change into them.
So spending 72 hours
at Chernobyl is possible,
but it's important
to respect the safety
regulations in place.
Stay with the tour guide
and knowing the risk of radiation
will make this visit safer.
Even today, the cleanup efforts
continue at Chernobyl.
The new safe confinement
structure was completed in 2017
to contain the surroundings,
the plant itself,
and reduce environmental risks.
It is a 110 m (360 ft) high arch covering
Chernobyl's unit 4 reactor
and an old containment structure.
The NSC is the largest movable
land-based structure ever built.
The eventual plan
is to dismantle the old plant structure
inside the NSC
and remove the nuclear fuel.
How would the nuclear fuel and radiation
at Chernobyl compare
to the most toxic lake on Earth?
What if you fell into Lake Natron?
Don't worry, we've got the perfect video
to help you survive that.
To be prepared and stay alive,
keep watching How to Survive.