Steam explosion major cause of human fatalities in volcanic eruptions. The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Soviet Union was feared to cause major steam explosion (and resulting Europe-wide fallout) upon melting the lava-like nuclear fuel through the reactor's basement towards contact with residue fire-fighting water and groundwater. The threat was averted by frantic tunneling underneath the reactor in order to pump out water and reinforce underlying soil with concrete. When a pressurized container such as the waterside of a steam boiler ruptures, it is always followed by some degree of steam explosion. A common operating temperature and pressure for a marine boiler
South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant The South Ukraine Nuclear Power Station (, ), is a nuclear power station in Ukraine. It is part of the South Ukrainian Energy Complex. It is located near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in Mykolaiv province, approximately south of Kiev. The nuclear power station has three VVER-1000 pressurized water reactors and a net generation capacity of 2,850 megawatts (MW). It is at present the second largest of five nuclear power stations in Ukraine. From South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant a 750 kV powerline runs to Isaccea, Romania, but it is mostly dismantled or ruined. In 2013,