Photo: Web

A Chinese online influencer attracted controversy after posting travel pictures wearing normal clothes in Chernobyl, Ukraine on Sina Weibo. Some netizens expressed concern that it is not a safe place to visit, especially without protective clothing.

On Thursday, a blogger with over 90,000 followers said on Sina Weibo that she had hiked for three days inside Chernobyl, where the mobile phone signal was sometimes unavailable. The blogger attached a set of pictures from the site.

Some netizens in China expressed concern that the pictures may attract more visitors to go to the site of the nuclear disaster.

"Why didn't she wear a protective suit when taking those photos?" read one comment. "This behavior should not be encouraged as it may mislead many to believe that the area is safe now."

Another blogger who went there in early September explained to the Global Times that tour guides will tell the visitors whether they should wear a protective suit or not.

"Our tour guide told us that we needed to cover our ankles with long pants as the radiation on the ground is much higher than in the air. So it would be quite dangerous to accidentally touch something when walking by."

China Youth Daily reported in 2019 that local travel agencies have introduced short group trips to Chernobyl. Only adults are allowed, and they are required to sign a statement saying they will wear "long coats and long pants, and promise not to touch anything within the area."

After the nuclear accident in April 1986, around 116,000 people that had been living within 30 kilometers of the number 4 reactor core were evacuated and later relocated, according to the World Nuclear Organization (WNO).

It is estimated that all of the xenon gas, and at least 5 percent of the remaining radioactive material in the Chernobyl 4 reactor core (which had 192 tons of fuel) was released in the accident, based on data from the WNO.

When the US series Chernobyl was broadcast in 2019, the popularity of the show prompted more people to look into visiting the site with travel agencies. Reuters reported that one of the agency's booking orders increased 40 percent after the show.

"I never expected that the tourism would be that popular. Our tour guide told us that there have been years where the tourism influx reached over a thousand visitors in one day," the other blogger told the Global Times.

Photo: Web

A Chinese online influencer attracted controversy after posting travel pictures wearing normal clothes in Chernobyl, Ukraine on Sina Weibo. Some netizens expressed concern that it is not a safe place to visit, especially without protective clothing.

On Thursday, a blogger with over 90,000 followers said on Sina Weibo that she had hiked for three days inside Chernobyl, where the mobile phone signal was sometimes unavailable. The blogger attached a set of pictures from the site.

Some netizens in China expressed concern that the pictures may attract more visitors to go to the site of the nuclear disaster.

"Why didn't she wear a protective suit when taking those photos?" read one comment. "This behavior should not be encouraged as it may mislead many to believe that the area is safe now."

Another blogger who went there in early September explained to the Global Times that tour guides will tell the visitors whether they should wear a protective suit or not.

"Our tour guide told us that we needed to cover our ankles with long pants as the radiation on the ground is much higher than in the air. So it would be quite dangerous to accidentally touch something when walking by."

China Youth Daily reported in 2019 that local travel agencies have introduced short group trips to Chernobyl. Only adults are allowed, and they are required to sign a statement saying they will wear "long coats and long pants, and promise not to touch anything within the area."

After the nuclear accident in April 1986, around 116,000 people that had been living within 30 kilometers of the number 4 reactor core were evacuated and later relocated, according to the World Nuclear Organization (WNO).

It is estimated that all of the xenon gas, and at least 5 percent of the remaining radioactive material in the Chernobyl 4 reactor core (which had 192 tons of fuel) was released in the accident, based on data from the WNO.

When the US series Chernobyl was broadcast in 2019, the popularity of the show prompted more people to look into visiting the site with travel agencies. Reuters reported that one of the agency's booking orders increased 40 percent after the show.

"I never expected that the tourism would be that popular. Our tour guide told us that there have been years where the tourism influx reached over a thousand visitors in one day," the other blogger told the Global Times.