{snip}Eerie images inside Fukushima's exclusion zone five years after the nuclear disaster

dailymail.co.uk ^

[BenLurkin]

More than five years after the devastating tsunami and the 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck north-eastern Japan, causing the explosion of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, the Japanese town remains abandoned.

Since April 22, 2011, an area within 20km (12.4miles) radius of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power plant has been cordoned off from the public and listed as the red exclusion zone.

But now, Malaysian photographer Keow Wee Loong has entered into the exclusion zone to capture these eerie images.

...

Among the locations Loong explored during his time there was an empty shopping centre with outlets full of merchandise dating back to 2011 - a reminder of the 150,000 people that were forced to leave the area following the disaster.

He said: 'When I walked into the mall I felt an eerie silence, like time had frozen. The mall was completely empty with no people in it but all the merchandise in place and I could explore anywhere I wanted.

'I always had a childhood dream of going into a mall alone when it is empty, so my dream came true, it was like deja vu, everything is exactly the way it is since 2011, the books marked with 2011, DVD movies of 2011.

'This was one of the creepiest things I have ever seen, I have been to many places, but nothing like Fukushima, the traffic lights are still operating but there are no cars around.

'It all reminded me of the movie I Am Legend, like stepping foot into a post-apocalyptic city.'

[mewzilla]

Can't believe it's been ten years.

For coverage of the day from NHK, click here.

[mewzilla]

BTTT.