Penza, 26 April 2013. PenzaNews. The ceremony of laying flowers at the monument to victims of radiation accidents and catastrophes, located in the park in 8 Marta St in Penza, was held at the 27th Anniversary of the catastrophe at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station on Friday, April 26.

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The representatives of the government, the clergy, community organizations and educational institutions came to honor the memory of the victims.

The accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station, located 12 km away from town Chernobyl, the Kiev region occurred at night on April 26, 1986.

At 1.24, uncontrolled growth of power occurred in the reactor which led to explosions and destruction of a larger part of the reactor facility.

According to the researchers, the release of radioactivity lasted for 10 days till May 6, then dropped a thousand times, and later gradually decreased.

Almost 160 thousand square km were contaminated with radiation. Immediately after the disaster, over 30 people were killed, other 600 thousand involved in firefighting and cleaning, received high doses of radiation.