The latest Netflix docudrama series Radioactive Emergency has arrived, giving a gripping look at a crisis spiraling out of control. With lives at stake and even the drinking water being at risk of contamination, the series focuses on one of the scariest radioactive emergencies. It follows a group of scientists and medical professionals struggling to contain the deadly radioactive threat accidentally spreading through a city.

Starring Johnny Massaro and Tuca Andrada, the five-part series has quickly become one of the most anticipated releases since Chernobyl. But is Radioactive Emergency based on a real incident?

Directed by Fernando Coimbra, Radioactive Emergency is based on the horrifying real-life tragedy in Goiânia. In 1987, two scavengers, unaware of the risks, stole an abandoned medical equipment from a former hospital site in Goiânia, exposing themselves to powdered caesium-137. After selling it to a local scrapyard owner, the glowing powder was shared with several people, exposing them to radioactive poisoning. 

While most of the events were unchanged, the series made a few changes for the dramatization.

The incident is considered one of the worst radiological disasters by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Over 200 patients were contaminated, and four lost their lives. Radioactive Emergency sheds light on this crisis, focusing not only on the series of events and how scientists worked to decontaminate but also on the patients’ suffering and the doctors’ relentless efforts to save them.

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While both Radioactive Emergency and Chernobyl explore the terror of nuclear disasters, they tell very different stories.

Although seemingly similar, Radioactive Emergency and Chernobyl tell very different stories. The Emmy-winning series focuses on a catastrophic nuclear power plant explosion that shook the world, while the new Netflix series focuses on the silent spread of accidental radiation poisoning in Goiânia. The HBO series follows scientists, firefighters, and officials racing to control the fire. 

On the other hand, Radioactive Emergency follows a team of experts dealing with the painstaking process of decontamination, while also treating patients who have been unknowingly exposed to radiation for days. It also places a stronger focus on the victims’ personal stories, brilliantly portrayed by talented actors. So, although Radioactive Emergency is based on a similar fear, it is worth watching.

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