The collapse of the Vajont dam in Longarone, Italy, in 1959 is one of the ecological disasters that has dramatically impacted history. Torrential rains caused enormous damage following a belated decision to issue the so-awaited order to evacuate the accumulated water. Nowadays, the dam has no actual use, except that it has become a place ►
The collapse of the Vajont dam in Longarone, Italy, in 1959 is one of the ecological disasters that has dramatically impacted history. Torrential rains caused enormous damage following a belated decision to issue the so-awaited order to evacuate the accumulated water. Nowadays, the dam has no actual use, except that it has become a place of memory tourism. In fact, in 2007, a footbridge was put up on the damaged ridge, and travelers can go there to see it more closely. On the Asian continent, India suffered from one of the most enormous explosions ever known at the Bhopal plant in 1984. This Union Carbide pesticide plant had faced an accidental water leak in the methyl isocyanate storage tank, and this caused a cloud of toxic gas of 25 km2. This chemical disaster claimed many victims, and thirty years later, the site is still damaged. However, the abandoned Union Carbide plant, as well as other nearby affected areas, can be visited by tourists. There is also the Bhopal Museum which chronicles the facts of this tragedy. A little further, travelers can go to Japan in the footsteps of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011. Following an earthquake and tsunami, the meltdown of the cores of two reactors at Fukushima Daiichi was initiated. More than ten years later, these lands are still contaminated, but some visits are made in the vicinity to allow travelers to learn and understand what happened. Thus, they will be able to pass in some of the areas of Nahara or visit Namie, which has been reopened to the inhabitants. There is also Yoshizawa-san Farm which can be seen, as well as Ukedo Elementary School. It should be noted that Fukushima Daiichi still suffers the consequences of this disaster even if some places are now more accessible to the public. In addition, staying in Japan, there is another event to know that has genuinely marked the history of humanity: the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was in 1945 that this disaster occurred, and the site was highly radioactive for many years. The Peace Museum in Hiroshima is a place not to be missed because it testifies to the many testimonies, photos, and reconstructions that allow travelers to understand better what the population suffered during this explosion. However, they can also visit Hiroshima Castle, Genbaku Dome, Mitaki Dera Temple, Botanical Garden, Hiroshima Orizuru Tower, Miyajima, and Okonomiyaki. On the Nagasaki side, there is the atomic bomb museum, Hashima Island, Mount Inasa, Glover Garden, Nagasaki Electric Tramway, and Nabekanmuriyama Park, among others, to see. The September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States made headlines on the American continent with the terrorist act in New York. More than 20 years later, tourists from all over the world visit the 9/11 Memorial and its Museum every day, which was built to pay tribute to the victims of these attacks, but also to those of the episodes of February 26, 1993, at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon in Washington and Pennsylvania. It is a real place of contemplation composed of two huge basins, each with a waterfall located at the exact position of the two ancient twin towers. On the perimeter of the pools, the names and surnames of the victims are inscribed on bronze panels. Then there is the Memorial Plaza next door, with nearly 400 oak trees that transmit a spirit of hope and renewal. In the museum, tourists will find personal belongings on the premises, a massive wall with photos and audio recordings. ◄
