Chernobyl is considered the worst nuclear accident in history and the most serious on the International Nuclear Accident Scale, as a major level 7 accident. Today, the place is a ghost town that can be visited even with google maps.
This tragedy forced the government of the former Soviet Union to urgently evacuate 116,000 people, causing international alarm when radioactivity was detected in at least 13 countries in central and eastern Europe. At present, it is an exhibition city for tourists.
The Ukrainian zone is completely closed off, still radioactive, and absolutely no one has lived there since one of the power plant’s nuclear reactors exploded in 1986.
However, not everyone can travel to Chernobyl, some out of fear, others for their respective reasons. But as a report published on the Computer Hoy website explains, Thanks to the Street View function of Google Maps, we can immerse ourselves in each of its areas and move 360° through them.
Chernobyl on Google Maps
If you want to access the Chernobyl forbidden zone, simply enter Google Maps through the application on your smartphone or through any web browser.
Then, in the app’s search engine, type “Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Pripyat, kyiv Oblast, Ukraine” and select the satellite view. With it we will be able to access the vicinity of the nuclear reactor, while with the 360° snapshots we will see the interior of it.
To go to the “Chernobyl Reactor #4” area, we must click on the blue dots that appear in it to access the 360° photographs. If they don’t appear on the map, drag the orange doll located at the bottom right of the interface to that area and place it on one of the blue dots.
Once you have done so, you will enter the area where you can select different snapshots and levels of the historic nuclear plant.