After disaster struck at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, employees at the plant and first responders got incredibly sick — starting with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and ending, for about 30 people, in death.
In total, 134 people were confirmed to have acute radiation syndrome, according to a 2007 medical journal account, which results from the body being exposed to high doses of radiation in extreme scenarios like nuclear meltdowns or use of nuclear weapons.
