Ukraine Seeks World Heritage Status for Chernobyl Zone | Voice of America - English

Ukraine Seeks World Heritage Status for Chernobyl Zone | Voice of America - English: A soft snow fell as a clutch of visitors equipped with a Geiger counter wandered through the ghostly Ukrainian town of Pripyat, frozen in time since the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986. More than three decades after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster forced thousands to evacuate, there is an influx of visitors to the area that has spurred officials to seek official status from UNESCO. "The Chernobyl zone is already a world-famous landmark," guide Maksym Polivko told AFP during a tour on a recent frosty day. "But today this area has no official status," the 38-year-old said of the exclusion