Chernobyl: Ukrainians remember the world's worst nuclear disaster 30 years on

The world's worst nuclear disaster took place 30 years ago today in Chernobyl.

Ukrainians gathered at memorial services to remember the catastrophic event.

The disaster occurred on 26th April 1986 at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine, which was under Soviet control at the time.

It killed 31 people instantly, although thousands more are estimated to have died as a result of exposure to radiation.

The contamination spread across Belarus and into Europe.

It also cost the Soviet Union around $18 billion at the time, almost bankrupting the regime.

The number of deaths from cancer is disputed with figures ranging from an estimate by the World Health Organisation of 9,000 to a Greenpeace report that cites a Belarusian study estimating a staggering 115,000.

Chernobyl is now a desolate wasteland that was abandoned after the accident due to radiation fears.

Wildlife is thriving in the ruins of the town since the area was deserted by humans.

Reuters photographer Gleb Garanich visited the site of the disaster and captured incredible photos of the town frozen in time.