‘Chernobyl’ Virus Damages Computers

A computer virus timed to strike on the anniversary of the April 26, 1986, nuclear plant disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine, caused computer meltdowns around the world. The virus, believed to have originated in Taiwan, tries to erase a computer’s hard drive and prevent the machine from being restarted. The effects were far worse overseas than in the United States. Turkey and South Korea each reported that 300,000 computers were damaged Monday, and there were more elsewhere in Asia and the Middle East. In India, at least 10,000 computer owners reported being infected. Businesses, banks and publishing houses were shut down, one Indian newspaper reported. Other nations hit by the virus include Bangladesh, China and the United Arab Emirates.