'Chernobyl, Fukushima and more': Top 7 most radioactive places on Earth that you shouldn't visit

From failed safety tests to covert nuclear programmes, some places on Earth remain seriously radioactive decades after disaster struck. Here's the list of 6 places that still face the brunt of radioactivity. Many remain off-limits, but some still house people unknowingly living with radiation.

In 1986, Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded during a safety test. The event released massive radioactive fallout over the country and parts of Europe. An estimated five million people were exposed to radioactive materials and the immediate response involved more than 500,000 workers. The plant’s sarcophagus has since been replaced with a $2 billion containment structure.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, overwhelmed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. This caused three reactors to fail. What followed was, radioactive water being poured into the Pacific Ocean, while hydrogen explosions further damaged containment structures. The site, despite in full shutdown, continues to leak radiation. It is expected that decommissioning efforts will take over 40 years. Thousands were evacuated post the incident, but marine contamination remains a long-term concern.

In 1957, Russia's Mayak nuclear fuel plant in Ozyorsk suffered an explosion in a storage tank, releasing a radioactive cloud over 300 square miles. Some 10,000 residents were evacuated immediately, without explanation, however, many suffered burns and radiation sickness. However, it was decades later that the Kyshtym disaster became known, due to the secrecy of the Soviet nuclear programme.

Also known as Semipalatinsk Test Site, this Cold War facility in Kazakhstan saw 456 nuclear detonations between 1949 and 1989. Despite the area being unfit for habitation, over half a million people lived nearby. More than 200,000 people have suffered long-term health effects. The Soviet government withheld this information for years. The site continues to remains one of the most studied nuclear test zones in history.

Previously named Windscale, this Cumbrian coastal facility was once the site of Britain’s worst nuclear accident in 1957, when a fire released radioactive particles across northern England. At its peak, the site has had a history of dumping up to eight million litres of contaminated wastewater into the Irish Sea daily. Today, Sellafield manages more nuclear waste than any other location in Europe.

During the Cold war, Mailuu-Suu was a major Soviet uranium mining town. Till date, dozens of waste dumps lie scattered near populated areas, many at risk of landslides or earthquakes. Leakage could contaminate rivers supplying water to hundreds of thousands. It still remains a radiological threat due to poor containment and ageing infrastructure.

From failed safety tests to covert nuclear programmes, some places on Earth remain seriously radioactive decades after disaster struck. Here's the list of 6 places that still face the brunt of radioactivity. Many remain off-limits, but some still house people unknowingly living with radiation.

In 1986, Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded during a safety test. The event released massive radioactive fallout over the country and parts of Europe. An estimated five million people were exposed to radioactive materials and the immediate response involved more than 500,000 workers. The plant’s sarcophagus has since been replaced with a $2 billion containment structure.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, overwhelmed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. This caused three reactors to fail. What followed was, radioactive water being poured into the Pacific Ocean, while hydrogen explosions further damaged containment structures. The site, despite in full shutdown, continues to leak radiation. It is expected that decommissioning efforts will take over 40 years. Thousands were evacuated post the incident, but marine contamination remains a long-term concern.

In 1957, Russia's Mayak nuclear fuel plant in Ozyorsk suffered an explosion in a storage tank, releasing a radioactive cloud over 300 square miles. Some 10,000 residents were evacuated immediately, without explanation, however, many suffered burns and radiation sickness. However, it was decades later that the Kyshtym disaster became known, due to the secrecy of the Soviet nuclear programme.

Also known as Semipalatinsk Test Site, this Cold War facility in Kazakhstan saw 456 nuclear detonations between 1949 and 1989. Despite the area being unfit for habitation, over half a million people lived nearby. More than 200,000 people have suffered long-term health effects. The Soviet government withheld this information for years. The site continues to remains one of the most studied nuclear test zones in history.

Previously named Windscale, this Cumbrian coastal facility was once the site of Britain’s worst nuclear accident in 1957, when a fire released radioactive particles across northern England. At its peak, the site has had a history of dumping up to eight million litres of contaminated wastewater into the Irish Sea daily. Today, Sellafield manages more nuclear waste than any other location in Europe.

During the Cold war, Mailuu-Suu was a major Soviet uranium mining town. Till date, dozens of waste dumps lie scattered near populated areas, many at risk of landslides or earthquakes. Leakage could contaminate rivers supplying water to hundreds of thousands. It still remains a radiological threat due to poor containment and ageing infrastructure.