Re: chernobyl death count

[Kevin Donohoe <kjd@nucmed.bidmc.harvard.edu>]

William McCabe wrote:
> 
> In one of Sandt Perle's news articles was the statement :
> 
>      "Ukraine estimates 4,300 people have died because
>       of the disaster, the world's worst nuclear accident."
> 
> This seems a bit high to me.  Does anybody know how this
> number was arrived at or where it came from?
> 
> William J. McCabe, Health Physicist


Does anyone know an e-mail address for Reuters news service?  Someone
should at least refer them to the "Nuclear Reaction" homepage on PBS for
a more reasonable estimate of the number of deaths associated with
Chernobyl.  It is frustrating to know that someone with the
responsibility of writing the news takes that responsibility so lightly
that they could report a number such as that.  The tactic of saying that
number was reported because it came from "Ukraine estimates" does not
make it any more acceptible.  

I will be happy to send a note to Reuters, if someone has an address. 
You may reply to me directly, or to RADSAFE, if you think others would
like to respond to them as well.

Thanks,
Kevin Donohoe, M.D.
kjd@nucmed.bidmc.harvard.edu