Influencers slammed for taking inappropriate selfies inside Chernobyl’s exclusion zone

Instagram influencers have been criticised for taking sexy selfies on the grounds of the Chernobyl disaster where thousands of people died one during one of the worst nuclear disasters in history.

The influx of of photos taken at at the grounds near Pripyat in Ukraine come as the city has seen a sudden increase in tourism following the HBO smash hit series Chernobyl. 

Tourism agencies claim that they’ve seen a 30 to 40 per cent increase in the tours they’ve given in the ghost town.

In one shocking picture, an influencer who boasts almost 4,000 followers poses in the exclusion zone half-naked wearing just an unzipped hazmat suit and a g-string.

Instagram influencers have been criticised for taking sexy selfies on the grounds of the Chernobyl disaster where thousands of people died one during one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. In one shocking picture, an influencer who boasts almost 4,000 followers poses in the exclusion zone half-naked wearing just an unzipped hazmat suit and a g-string

The influx of of photos taken at at the grounds near Pripyat in Ukraine come as the city has seen a sudden increase in tourism following the HBO smash hit series Chernobyl. One shot shows her from behind exposing her backside, while an accompanying shot (pictured) shows her in profile wearing just her underwear

The influx of of photos taken at at the grounds near Pripyat in Ukraine come as the city has seen a sudden increase in tourism following the HBO smash hit series Chernobyl. One shot shows her from behind exposing her backside, while an accompanying shot (pictured) shows her in profile wearing just her underwear

Tourism agencies claim that they've seen a 30 to 40 per cent increase in the tours they've given in the ghost town. This snap shows a heavily made-up woman in a safety mask and head cover. She has geotagged her shots to show her followers she's at the disaster site

Tourism agencies claim that they’ve seen a 30 to 40 per cent increase in the tours they’ve given in the ghost town. This snap shows a heavily made-up woman in a safety mask and head cover. She has geotagged her shots to show her followers she’s at the disaster site

One shot shows her from behind exposing her backside, while an accompanying shot shows her in profile wearing just her underwear.

Another snap shows a heavily made-up woman in a safety mask and head cover. She has geotagged her shots to show her followers the picture was taken at the disaster site. 

Other pictures show an Instagram user showing off her perfectly-coiffed hair while staring up at the site’s eerily-abandoned Ferris wheel.

In another, the same user climbs out from an empty, abandoned swimming pool and in a third she poses on a rusted swing. 

In pictures taken inside the exclusion zone, one influencer geotagged her posts to show her followers where she was

Clad in a hazmat suit and protective gear, the influencer posed inside the power plant

In pictures taken inside the exclusion zone, one influencer geotagged her posts to show her followers where she was

Other pictures show an Instagram user showing off her perfectly-coiffed hair while staring up at the site's Ferris wheel

Other pictures show an Instagram user showing off her perfectly-coiffed hair while staring up at the site’s Ferris wheel

In another, the same user climbs out from an empty, abandoned swimming pool

One shot show the Instagram star standing in the pool

In another, the same user climbs out from an empty, abandoned swimming pool

Instagram star Julia Baessler, who has more than 300,000 follower took one shot posing on a rusted swing at the site

Instagram star Julia Baessler, who has more than 300,000 follower took one shot posing on a rusted swing at the site

Dozens of thirsty influencers flocked to the Ferris wheel and made it a prime spot for their ‘inappropriate’ photos.

They’ve also frequented the exclusion zone inside Chernobyl and various photo snappers have been pictured in plastic radiation suits.

Another common snap a among visitors shows brave souls holding radiation detectors in an effort to show how radioactive the area still is. 

Thirsty influencers have flocked to the Ferris wheel and made it a prime spot for their 'inappropriate' photos

Thirsty influencers have flocked to the Ferris wheel and made it a prime spot for their ‘inappropriate’ photos

They've also frequented the exclusion zone inside Chernobyl and various photo snappers

One social media star looked off into the distance posing inside the site

They’ve also frequented the exclusion zone inside Chernobyl and various photo snappers have been pictured in plastic radiation suits

In Pripyat, the ghost town once home to 50,000 people who mainly worked at the plant, an amusement park houses a rusting hulk of a merry-go-round and dodgem-car track, and a giant Ferris wheel that never went into operation.   

A majority of the Instagram posts tag Pripyat as the location but use incendiary hashtags connected to the disastrous nuclear accident.

The posts have become so frequent that Craig Mazin, the writer and producer behind the popular miniseries, took to his Twitter to tell people to be respectful.

‘It’s wonderful that #ChernobylHBO has inspired a wave of tourism to the Zone of Exclusion,’ he said in a Tuesday tweet . ‘But yes, I’ve seen the photos going around.

‘If you visit, please remember that a terrible tragedy occurred there. Comport yourselves with respect for all who suffered and sacrificed.’

The HBO miniseries covering the 1986 disaster finished its five-episode run on June 3, and as of Thursday had the highest audience ranking on IMDb

The HBO miniseries covering the 1986 disaster finished its five-episode run on June 3, and as of Thursday had the highest audience ranking on IMDb

The posts have become so frequent that Craig Mazin, the writer and producer behind the popular miniseries, took to his Twitter to tell people to be respectful

The posts have become so frequent that Craig Mazin, the writer and producer behind the popular miniseries, took to his Twitter to tell people to be respectful

Many Instagram users posed by the ghost town's famously abandoned Ferris wheel, which many have deemed inappropriate and disrespectful

One user held out her arm to make it appear as if she was holding up the wheel

Many Instagram users posed by the ghost town’s famously abandoned Ferris wheel, which many have deemed inappropriate and disrespectful 

One woman leans on a rusted bus that has graffiti sprawled over it

One woman leans on a rusted bus that has graffiti sprawled over it

And Mazin isn’t alone in his criticism. Hundreds of commentators have hit back at the ‘disrespectful’ influencers online, describing the photos as ‘stupid’.

One said: ‘This photo is disrespectful to the people who lost their lives. How insensitive can you be?’

Another wrote: ‘People died there in a very horrific way – have some respect’.

A third commented: ‘Shame on you, This is an insult to the memory of the people who lost their lives at Chernobyl.’

A fourth posted: ‘You should be ashamed of yourself’

The show's popularity has led to a wave of tourism, with most agencies claiming that they've seen a 30 to 40 percent increase in the tours they've given to the exclusion zone and the town of Pripyat

The show’s popularity has led to a wave of tourism, with most agencies claiming that they’ve seen a 30 to 40 percent increase in the tours they’ve given to the exclusion zone and the town of Pripyat

Instagram influencers have rushed to the Chernobyl exclusion zone to snap viral pics. A man dons a plastic radiation suit as he looks over a rail

Instagram influencers have rushed to the Chernobyl exclusion zone to snap viral pics. A man dons a plastic radiation suit as he looks over a rail

While a fifth described snaps as ’embarrassing ignorance’. 

The miniseries covering the 1986 disaster finished its five-episode run on June 3, and as of Thursday had the highest audience ranking on IMDb in history, with 9.6 out of 10 stars – beating even such mega-hit series as Breaking Bad and Game Of Thrones. 

Sergiy Ivanchuk, director of SoloEast tours, told Reuters that the company saw a 30 per cent increase in tourists going to the area in May 2019 compared with the same month last year. Bookings for June, July and August have risen by approximately 40 per cent since HBO aired the show, he said.

Yaroslav Yemelianenko, director of Chernobyl Tour, said he expected a similar increase of 30-40 per cent because of the show.

Another trendy snap shows brave souls holding radiation detectors in an effort to show how radioactive the area still is

A snap of the device taken in the area show that it reads at a radioactivity level of  .739

Another trendy snap shows brave souls holding radiation detectors in an effort to show how radioactive the area still is

In Pripyat, the ghost town once home to 50,000 people who mainly worked at the plant, a giant Ferris wheel that never went into operation sits

 In Pripyat, the ghost town once home to 50,000 people who mainly worked at the plant, a giant Ferris wheel that never went into operation sits

Several shots saw people chilling on roofs with forest and deserted buildings in the backdrop

Several shots saw people chilling on roofs with forest and deserted buildings in the backdrop

WHAT IS THE CHERNOBYL EXCLUSION ZONE?

In 1986 an explosion at the Chernobyl power plant in the former Soviet Union town of Pripyat leaked radioactive material into the environment.

The explosion was caused by a fire in one of the nuclear reactors and the surrounding area was evacuated as a result.

Around 116,000 people were permanently evacuated from the exclusion zone around the power plant, with villages and towns left to go to ruin.

While radiation levels in the region is still considered too high for humans to return, wildlife has moved back into the 1,600 square mile (4,300 square km) Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) and is flourishing.

While radiation levels in the region is still considered too high for humans to return, animals such as wolves (pictured) have moved back into the area and is flourishing 

While radiation levels in the region is still considered too high for humans to return, animals such as wolves (pictured) have moved back into the area and is flourishing 

Many argue that the region should be given over to the animals which have become established in the area – creating a radioactive protected wildlife reserve.

Studies of the animals and plants in the area around Chernobyl are now providing clues as to what the world would be like should humans suddenly disappear. 

Scientists are monitoring the health of plants and animals in the exclusion area to see how they react to chronic radiation exposure.

Camera traps set up by researchers have captured a stunning array of local wildlife, including wolves, lynx, mouse, boars, deer, horses, and many others, as they wander through the area.

It shows that three decades on from the disaster, the area is far from being a wasteland. Instead life is thriving there.

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