> I found this one[0] the other day where a radiation source ended up in the concrete wall of an apartment building. A whole family got leukemia, took 9 years to eventually have it removed.

I actually considered whether I should post this or not, but there's a game that deals with this subject matter, called Bright Lights of Svetlov: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1630920/Bright_Lights_of_...

It's setup as one of those "walking simulators" where you experience fragments of life in the Soviet Union from the perspectives of multiple people, but with a plot twist and tragedy looming around the corner. If nothing else, going into it the first time without knowing the story behind it was a curious experience.

For those less interested in actually playing the thing, there's an article called "This new Russian adventure game nails 1980s USSR" that goes into more detail: https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/334455-bright-lights-svetlov-...

The awful irony is that these teletherapy devices are used to treat cancer when used improperly will cause it.

Chemotherapy too, since it usually causes DNA damage (cancers replicate quickly, so DNA damage affects them more). Very aggressive treatment has double-digit odds of giving you a new, additional cancer.

Reminds me of "the dose makes the poison"

It's quite a rabbit hole reading about these radiological accidents.