In that moment, the core of the reactor was completely destroyed. Almost seven tonnes of uranium fuel, together with pieces of control rods, zirconium channels, and graphite blocks, were pulverized into tiny fragments and sucked high into the atmosphere, forming a mixture of gases and aerosols carrying radioisotopes, including iodine 131, neptunium 239, cesium 137, strontium 90, and plutonium 239—among the most dangerous substances known to man. A further 25 to 30 tonnes of uranium and highly radioactive graphite were launched out of the core and scattered around Unit Four, starting small
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