A small town in western Australia was abandoned because of the poison gas. It is the town of Wittenoom in the Pilbara region. This place has been warned as "the most dangerous polluted place on the planet" as the toxic gas left over can still be lethal.
More than 2,000 people died here from toxic gas pollution. Up to now, this place is no longer inhabited, but still attracts curious tourists who want to explore and learn about a dark history.
Wittenoom used to be a busy place thanks to asbestos mining
This paradox makes many people think of Chernobyl, a place that suffered from a nuclear tragedy in the past that caused thousands of deaths, but recently became a popular tourist destination after the movie fever on HBO.
Around 1940 of the last century, Wittenoom was a very bustling and bustling town thanks to mineral exploitation. That was the time when the green asbestos mining industry appeared and exploded. Wittenoom is the welcoming and most thriving town in the region, attracting thousands of workers to work in the mines. Along with that, the family of the craftsmen also flocked here to live.
In 1966 when all the mines were closed, people left one by one
According to statistics, in the period from 1940 to 1960, among 13,000 mining worker families living in Wittenoom, more than 2,000 people died from asbestos-related diseases.
Experts say that when people inhale the fibrous asbestos, they can cause lung diseases, reduce breathing ability and even cause cancer.
Danger signs are everywhere around town
At that time, when asbestos dust was inhaled, its harm was not noticed within 15 years. But 20-30 years later, people who have been exposed to this poison will develop sickness.
And in 1966, the green asbestos mining sites all closed one after another. The people are leaving town. From the bustle, Wittenoom was abandoned and turned into a "ghost town". Although the mines have stopped working, many experts say that the remaining asbestos dust makes the environment here unsafe.
The reckless tourist still comes here to take pictures
In 2007, the local government removed Wittenoom’s name from the map, and affirmed that this place will never be revived, although about 3 million tons of asbestos were left in the canyon and surrounding area.
Although the black stain of the past is still there, but strangely, this does not stop the discovery of curious visitors. Today, many people still want to find this "ghost town".
Despite the warning of danger, many young people recklessly still take pictures check-in at dangerous areas in Wittenoom and then share them on social networks with hashtags such as #blueasbestos and #ghosttown.
According to Melita Markey, adviser to the National Center for asbestos-related diseases, this action is no different than "dangerous games in which participants want to bet their lives".
