First Acute Radiation Syndrome Cases Manifest

By morning, 134 emergency workers and plant personnel have received radiation doses sufficient to cause Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). Symptoms — vomiting, erythema, neurological effects — are documented at local clinics. Victims are transported to Moscow's Hospital No. 6, the USSR's only specialized radiation medicine facility. Of the 134 ARS cases, 28 die within the first three months, including most of the roof firefighters.