Chernobyl: Ukraine marks 30 years since world's worst nuclear disaster

Residents of the Ukrainian town of Slavutych gathered in the main square early on 26 April, to remember the victims of the worst nuclear disaster in history. Slavutych is located about 30 miles from Chernobyl where the No 4 reactor exploded on 26 April 1986, releasing large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. People lit candles and lanterns as they were led by a priest in prayer, before placing candles and flowers to the memorial in the square.

The city was built in 1986 after residents of neighbouring Prypyat, near where the damaged reactor was located, were permanently relocated and the town became abandoned. The explosion at the nuclear station sent a cloud of radioactive waste over large parts of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

Thousands of firefighters, engineers and medics were sent to the scene to fight the fire and to prevent the other reactors from blowing up as well. Exposed to high doses of radiation, many of them died during the first night.

Thirty years on, their relatives are still struggling. "This tragedy will stay with us until the end of our lives. I won't be able to forget it anyway," said Vasyl Markin who was an engineer at the plant.