10 Places That Don't Exist Anymore

Summary

This video script explores locations abandoned or destroyed due to human activity or natural disasters. From the ghost town of Witten in Australia, ravaged by asbestos mining, to the perpetually burning town of Centralia, Pennsylvania, each site tells a story of environmental catastrophe. The script also recounts historical losses like the Tomb of Mausolus in Turkey and the Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt. It highlights modern tragedies such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan and the Chernobyl meltdown, which led to the desolation of Pripyat, Ukraine. The narrative serves as a stark reminder of the irreversible impacts of human actions on our environment and history.

Takeaways

• 🔥 The ghost town of Witten in Western Australia was abandoned due to an underground fire that started in 1962.
• 🏭 Pitcher, Oklahoma was once a leading producer of lead and zinc but became a Superfund site due to toxic waste and lead poisoning among its children.
• 🏺 The Tomb of Mausolus in Turkey was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World but was destroyed by earthquakes and repurposed by Crusader Knights.
• 🚫 Gilman, Colorado suffered from severe ecological damage due to mining operations, leading to its designation as a Superfund site and eventual abandonment.
• 🗼 The Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt stood for over a thousand years before being damaged by earthquakes and eventually submerged into the sea.
• 🏠 Wittenoom, Australia was the largest contaminated site in the southern hemisphere due to blue asbestos mining, leading to its closure and abandonment.
• 🌊 The Aral Sea between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan shrank to a tenth of its original size due to water diversion for irrigation, causing environmental and economic devastation.
• 🔥 Centralia, Pennsylvania sits atop an underground fire that has been burning for over 60 years, leading to the town's evacuation and becoming a ghost town.
• 🏰 Nimrud, an ancient Assyrian city in Iraq, was destroyed by ISIS in 2014, erasing 3,000 years of history in a few months.
• 🌐 The Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 caused by an earthquake and tsunami led to a nuclear meltdown, evacuations, and long-term decontamination efforts.
• 🏙️ Pripyat, Ukraine, near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, was evacuated in 1986 after a catastrophic meltdown, leaving it as a frozen piece of Soviet history.

Q & A

What was the main cause of the underground fire in Wittenoom, Western Australia?

The main cause of the underground fire in Wittenoom was the local officials' unwitting action back in May 1962, which led to a fire that has been burning ever since.

Why was Pitcher, Oklahoma included in the EPA's Tar Creek Superfund Site?

Pitcher, Oklahoma was included in the EPA's Tar Creek Superfund Site due to the extensive pollution from lead and zinc mining operations, which left toxic waste piles around the area, including in children's sandboxes.

What was the consequence of the mining operations in Gilman, Colorado?

The mining operations in Gilman, Colorado resulted in severe ecological damage, poisoning the soil and groundwater with arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc, and ultimately led to the town being deemed uninhabitable and designated a Superfund site.

What historical significance did the Tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus hold?

The Tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus, built around 350 BC, was one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World and stood for hundreds of years until it was destroyed by earthquakes and later by Crusader Knights who used its stones to fortify their castle walls.

What event led to the evacuation of the town of Wittenoom?

The town of Wittenoom was evacuated due to the asbestos mining which caused thousands of workers and residents to suffer from rare and often fatal diseases such as mesothelioma.

How did the Aral Sea shrink to a tenth of its original size?

The Aral Sea shrank to a tenth of its original size due to the Soviet's water diversion projects from the 1930s, which were intended to irrigate cotton fields but led to significant water loss and a devastating reduction in the lake's size.

What was the cause of the perpetual fire beneath Centralia, Pennsylvania?

The perpetual fire beneath Centralia, Pennsylvania started in 1962 when an intentional blaze in the town's landfill smoldered and spread through an opening into a labyrinth of abandoned coal mines beneath the town.

What led to the destruction of the ancient city of Nimrud in Iraq?

The ancient city of Nimrud was destroyed in 2014 by the Islamic State forces who took sledgehammers and bulldozers to dismantle the buildings and attached barrels of explosives, annihilating 3,000 years of history.

What was the impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on the surrounding area?

The Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 caused a massive earthquake and tsunami, leading to a meltdown at the TEPCO Daiichi nuclear power plant, evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents, and a significant economic impact on Japan.

Why was the city of Pripyat completely abandoned?

The city of Pripyat was completely abandoned following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, which involved massive explosions and the release of radioactive dust into the atmosphere.