I had the opportunity to tour the plant site nearly 20 years ago. Strangely enough, now that the numbers are in, they indicate a handful of people who've died from radiation-related causes. A few hundred, at most. And thousands who've died from stress-related causes -- heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, depression, suicide, etc. The reaction to the "katastrofi" harmed more people than the event itself.
I have seen/heard widely disagreeing evaluations on the Chernobyl aftermath. I wouldn’t trust the Russians to report the pravda on anything let alone a national humiliation like this though and I wouldn’t trust our nuclear power loving government to be any more honest about it.