The Serbs were passing on all the information they had about the accident. Indeed, the first signal that something had happened came from Sweden and Finland, as their laboratories capture radioactive particles with enormous activity in the air. Their analysis showed that it was not an explosion of a nuclear bomb, but of a nuclear power plant.
This was said by Prof. Georgi Kaschiev, a nuclear energy expert who participated in the launch of the 5th unit of the "Kozloduy" NPP, who taught in Sofia and Vienna. Recently - Chairman of the Board of Directors of the "Kozloduy" NPP, on bTV.
When the accident at the "Chernobyl" NPP happened, he worked at the "Kozloduy" NPP.
"At that time, we also had no information, since the only short message was in the "Duma" newspaper that there had been a fire. Chernobyl was under control and so on. The Soviet specialists who were there had no information", said Prof. Kaschiev.
"They reported the movement of the radioactive clouds. First they headed north, but after two days they turned this way. They were approaching Bulgaria and Serbia. They entered the territory of Kozloduy on the evening of May 1. On May 2, I was on duty and when I went in the morning, they told me that the background was already 10 times higher than normal“, he added.
There was a lot of precipitation then and accordingly the highest places are where the most radioactive particles are deposited“, he added.
Why don't the authorities cancel the demonstrations on the occasion of May 1?
"From May 2-3, all the information about the radiation situation was already reported to the headquarters in Sofia. I know that then two professors measured radioactive particles in Sofia even before May 1. They tried to report to the party. Subsequently, they were heard only by the leadership of the army, which took measures to preserve the health of the servicemen“, said Prof. Kaschiev.
"The measures were elementary. And precisely because they are elementary, very strong results could be achieved to prevent people from being contaminated, from ingesting particles and to limit external radiation, especially of children“, he also said.
"With the rains, radioactive particles fall to the ground. All early vegetables are very porous, they fall into them. Then there were holidays around St. George's Day - green salads, lambs. The lambs were already contaminated. The milk was contaminated“, the expert explained.
"The biggest danger then was radioactive iodine, since it is a volatile element that spreads very quickly. When inhaled, half of it falls into the thyroid gland, which is very small. It absorbs huge amounts of radioactive iodine“, explained Prof. Georgi Kaschiev.
"No open information, no warnings. After 6-7, when it was already clear that something was wrong, people started bringing salads, strawberries, lamb for measurements. Everything lit up red after a few seconds,“ the expert said.
The Chernobyl accident occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Soviet Chernobyl nuclear power plant.