Hero of Chernobyl disaster leaps from Moscow flat after battling ravages of radiation poisoning as tragic note found | The Sun

A HERO of the Chernobyl nuclear tragedy jumped from a balcony on his high-rise residential building in Moscow, no longer able to cope with the ravages of radiation poisoning.

Plant engineer Viktor Smakov, 75, was a key witness to the horror of the explosion of the Soviet power station's reactor number four in 1986.



The nuclear poisoning he sustained led to repeated health problems.

In a note left for his family, he said that after 37 years he could no longer bear the treatment to keep him alive.  

He fell 150ft to his death from his tower block. 

The tragic note, released to the media, read: “My dears: Larisa, Dima and Sveta! Now it's time to say goodbye. 

read more world news

TRAGIC TRIBUTES

Brit sisters and mum killed by Hamas in kibbutz massacre are laid to rest

DIRECT HIT

Hurricane Otis hits Mexico resort HEAD ON as 165mph gales send tourists fleeing

“Thank you very much for the years we have lived together. It was happiness. I'm sorry!”

On 26 April 1986, Smakov rushed from his nearby home to his scheduled shift at the power station as soon as the reactor exploded spewing radiation across Europe. 

“Inside the buildings, people fought the fire,” he said in his memoir of the tragedy. 

The hero recalls the bravery of his colleagues at the time.

Most read in The Sun

BANK BOOST

One-off payment worth £185 set for thousands – check if you’re getting one

JANE MOORE

Becky Sharp’s decision to push child’s buggy out of the way was superhuman love

PLUNGE DEATH

Brit teen, 18, dies after falling from balcony of Lanzarote hotel

SCHOL-DED

Laura Woods tells Scholes ‘stop it… what are you doing?’ live on TNT after gaffe

“It is worth saying that after the accident almost no one quit, although it was very scary," he said.

The next day, the population of highly polluted Pripyat was evacuated.

Out of the 5,000 workers at the power station, only six or seven fled.

Despite knowing the risks of radiation, the rest of the workers stayed in the town for a few days as the station couldn't be unattended.

“The most dangerous place was in the turbine room, because a fire here is the worst thing that can happen at a station after a reactor explosion.

“There was no panic, everyone was just doing their job. 

“Personnel extinguished the fire and drained oil into underground containers; electricians…vented hydrogen," said Smakov.

Many of those who saved the station received lethal doses of radiation and subsequently died in hospital.

Those who survived suffered from a cruel fate of disease, stigma, and accusations.

Smakov resented the blame game which saw “the staff blamed for everything”.

According to the official version, the workers conducted tests at the power unit whilst the reactor was in an unsuitable state for such work – at a power of 200 megawatts, instead of the required 700.

Smakov was awarded an honour for his role in the clean-up but admitted that the accident ruined many lives.

Read More on The Sun

THAT'S LIT!

My 45p trick to keep yourself warm at home this winter – it's super easy to do

SEE EU THERE

European city once called 'Paris of the East' with £2 pints & water attraction

He said: “I suffered from radiation sickness, I received a stigma for life – a ban on working in areas of ionizing radiation, a ban on working at night, a ban on business trips, and a lot of other restrictions. Who needs such workers?"

Unable to work as a plant engineer, Smakov was given an administrative job at the Russian ministry.



Source: Read Full Article