According to 9news, an abandoned asbestos mine in Western Australia has become a new destination for tourists who like to seek stimulation, and they have been warned that it is a "death hunt".
Wittenoom Gorge is located near Tom Price and Karijini National Park, where an abandoned bluestone mine is classified as a heavily polluted area, and the town is, by principle, closed to the public.
But for bold tourists and pipeline bloggers interested in Ghost City, it's an interesting tourist attraction, with a lot of visitors coming in every day, who seem to be indifferent to the risk of mesothelioma.
Asbestos can cause a deadly cancer, mesothelioma, which has a latent period of up to decades and can die within a few months after an outbreak.
Abandoned asbestos ore in Wittenoom
Lyniece Bolitho, a former resident of Wittenoom, says the timid tourists are making fun of their lives.
"these young people are lucky enough to think that mesothelioma will not happen to them. Only the elderly will have the disease."
"if they think so, they're taking their lives seriously. You know, cancer can happen to anyone."
Ms. Bolitho, who now lives in Albany, Western Australia, had six family members who had worked at the asbestos mine and died of mesothelioma, including her father, who died at the age of 41.
Warning signs on the asbestos site
"my friends are dying one after another. I attended one of my friends' funerals two weeks ago."
There are three asbestos mines around Wittenoom, operating from the 1930s to 1966. At its heyday, the town had 20, 000 inhabitants. Waste containing deadly blue asbestos is used to build roads and buildings.
Ms. Bolitho created a Facebook group called Lost Wittenoom to collect photos and stories of former residents, and she noticed the bold tourists.
Ms. Bolitho was worried that the tourists would post photos and videos of their visits, which seemed to take their lives seriously at all.
road with blue-and-asbestos-containing waste
"everybody be careful, there's asbestos everywhere," said a blogger in the video, holding a piece of asbestos in his hand and lifting it to the camera.
A camper described it as "walking on asbestos-made rocks" in the video.
The "We don't like cowards." has written a "I admit, one of our members does look very uncomfortable (Scotty, you can't have a bit of interest, you can't overcome it, man)!".
Ms. Bolitho said there were a number of extreme tourists, one "naked tourist" wrapped in a towel at the scene, and she also posted the photo online on po.
Table and chair abandoned on site
In addition to explorers, overseas tourists and family travelers, there is a long journey to Wittenoom to visit the asbestos mine, Ms. Bolitho said.
Wittenoom is littered with signs warning danger, and Western Australia Lands Department made it clear on its website: "for your own safety, do not go to Wittenoom."
But Ms Bolitho would like to see further steps. "government and Parliament have a responsibility to take care of these visitors," she said.