Minute by minute, how the Chernobyl disaster unfolded: 40 years on, dramatic reconstruction of the botched safety drill that spawned worst nuclear accident in history

The Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear accident in history, occurred 40 years ago due to a botched safety drill at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The incident, caused by a flawed reactor design and human error, led to catastrophic radiation release and long-term environmental and health impacts.