Greenpeace says more Chernobyl deaths than expected

The Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine 20 years ago has had far more serious consequences than previously expected, environmental group Greenpeace said here Tuesday.

Recent studies have shown an additional 270,000 cancer-related diseases in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, of which 93,000 will probably prove fatal, the group said in a new report.

The report referred to lung cancer and other forms of cancer passed on to the following generation in the disaster area and other parts of Western Europe.

The figure was much higher than the 4,000 to 9,000 extra cancer deaths predicted by the UN-sponsored Chernobyl Forum in a report unveiled last September.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), part of the Chernobyl Forum, has put the number at about 4,000, while the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated it at around 8,900.

The Chernobyl tragedy on April 26, 1986 was caused by an explosion in a reactor block which sent a cloud of radioactive particles into nearby areas.

German news agency DPA quoted a German member of the Ecology Institute, Bettina Brohmann as saying that the anniversary of Chernobyl should serve as a reminder of the need to phase out nuclear plants.

Source: Xinhua