In the 1950s, Wittenoom was the largest town in Northwestern Australia's remote Pilbara region. Now, it's Australia's Chernobyl. So what happened? In short, asbestos. 

Unlike Pripyat in Ukraine, Wittenoom sits in a picturesque desert mountainous region, with beautiful foliage and shining sun virtually all year round. There is no reactor explosion to examine, no abandoned city center and you would be forgiven for thinking Wittenoom is the perfect place for venturing off on some hiking trails or camping with the family.

Wittenoom in 1947, and was a company town built for mining blue asbestos. For a time, Wittenoom was Australia's only supplier of blue asbestos, and parents happily raised their children around open pits. Many of those children never saw old age. 

The town's official status was removed in 2006. At 120,000 acres, the site is the largest contaminated area in the southern hemisphere. Here are 21 disturbing photos of Wittenoom.