Old business sites can give us a fascinating glimpse into the history of production, showing how things were done many years ago.
Progress in technology and demand means sites are left abandoned when their owners go bust or decide to pull funding.
Sometimes it’s due to bankruptcy, sometimes it’s growing too big and sometimes other more disastrous factors mean a very sudden departure.
Here’s a look at some of the most notoriously dangerous abandoned business sites across the world, which are now too perilous for public access.
Chernobyl, Ukraine
Chernobyl is probably the most famous abandoned business site in the world.
In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster led to the evacuation and abandonment of the city of Pripyat.
The area around the reactor remains highly radioactive, with parts of the exclusion zone indefinitely closed to the public.
Scientists say it will take 20,000 years before the area becomes fully safe, although some parts do have controlled access.
Centralia, Pennsylvania, USA
Once a thriving mining community, Centralia has been reduced to an almost ghost town due to a coal mine fire burning beneath the town since 1962.
Dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and the risk of sudden ground subsidence make it a hazardous area.
Its depth beneath the ground, an abundance of fuel and the massive cost of dealing with it are all factors over it still burns more than 60 years on.
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Picher, Oklahoma, USA
This former mining town became one of the most toxic sites in America due to rampant lead and zinc mining, leaving behind mountains of chat (toxic mining waste).
Environmental and health risks led to a federal buyout and evacuation, rendering the town a modern ghost town.
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Wittenoom, Australia
Once known for its blue asbestos mining, Wittenoom was shut down in 1966 due to health risks from asbestos fibers.
The site is so hazardous that it’s been removed from Australian maps and visiting is strongly discouraged due to the high risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses.
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Kadykchan, Russia
A town built by Gulag prisoners to mine coal in the far east of Russia, Kadykchan was abandoned after the collapse of the Soviet Union and a subsequent mine explosion.
With deteriorating buildings and plummeting temperatures, it’s a perilous site that underscores the region’s harsh economic realities.
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Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan
Known for its uranium ore processing, Mailuu-Suu is critically contaminated with radioactive waste.
Landslides and erosion pose a significant risk of spreading contamination, making it one of Central Asia’s most dangerous ghost towns.
