Ignorant influencers slammed for risking their lives to holiday in asbestos-riddled Wittenoom

Kate RyanThe West Australian
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Camera IconCredit: Instagram, A person seen visiting Wittenoom

Budding influencers have astounded medical professionals by holidaying in an asbestos-riddled town to impress their social media followers.

While West Australians are being encouraged to “wander out yonder” some holidaymakers have been taking themselves to the notoriously dangerous town of Wittenoom in an ignorant bid for Instagram likes.

Pictures of travellers doing yoga and a young family in front of a camp fire are among the risky pictures being taken in the town which is deemed so harmful it’s been wiped off WA maps.

Camera IconCredit: Instagram, A person posing in front of the entrance into Wittenoom, warning people not to enter

National Centre of Asbestos Related Diseases advisory chair Melita Markey has slammed the holidaymakers for putting themselves and others at risk for the sake of a photograph.

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Camera IconCredit: Instagram, Dogs playing in the water at Wittenoom Gorge

“You're playing Russian roulette with your life and your children's lives,” she said.

The road into town has been torn up, the power has been switched off and signs warn motorists not to enter, but it appears even that isn’t enough to stop some travellers’ morbid curiosity.

One Instagram follower boasted how they defied advice for a holiday in the town.

“We stayed in a house of one of the three remaining residents of this town,” they wrote on Instagram.

Camera IconCredit: Instagram, A photo posted to social media of visitors walking through Wittenoom without protective gear

“The area is safe now, but the fear of the asbestos mine looms over this area and the Australian government is persistent in wishing to delete the existence of this town.”

Oblivious followers have gushed over the pictures with comments such as “beautiful” and “I can’t wait to go”, leaving medical experts stunned.

“It's a level of determination, isn't it? To take the risk, or to believe that they're invincible — and sadly, we know that's not the case,” Mrs Markey said.

“There’s a lot of asbestos in Wittenoom and it has very strong winds blowing around you.

Camera IconCredit: Instagram, A photo posted to social media of people visiting Wittenoom

Also, it's blue asbestos ad the research shows us that's the most deadly and most carcinogenic.”

Mrs Markey said the inclusion of children in some of the photos was particularly concerning.

“I think if you're prepared to take a risk with your life, that's your decision. But when you're taking children, that to me, it's very sad that you would take risks with your children like that,” she said.

Asbestos was considered an ideal building material in the 1940s and the Wittenoom Gorge was full of it.

Of the 13,000 mine workers and families that lived in Wittenoom, more than 2,000 have died of absestos-related illnesses.

Some children who grew up in the town died in their 30s.

Mrs Markey said it doesn’t take living in the town to get sick, it only takes one particle to cause the rare and aggressive cancer, mesothelioma.

“The consequences aren't worth it... we don't have the investment in medical research to even offer you any hope,” she said.

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