France's Death Zones Still Kill After 100 Years

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]Did you know there are places in France where nothing has grown for over a hundred years? 460 square miles of land so poisoned that stepping foot there means death. After World War I ended, these red zones remained. Entire villages were wiped off maps forever.

[00:00:15]The soil is saturated with mustard gas and chlorine, chemical weapons that still kill today. Every year, farmers find what they call the iron harvest.

[00:00:25]900 tons of unexploded shells and bombs still deadly after a century.

[00:00:30]Specialized teams risk their lives removing these weapons. Some don't make it home. The chemical exposure claims workers every year. Scientists say these areas make Chernobyl look safe. The radiation will fade in decades, but these red zones, they'll remain uninhabitable for 300 more years. Entire forests refuse to grow. Animals avoid the land instinctively. The Great War ended in 1918, but in these forgotten corners of France, the killing never stopped.

[00:00:58]>> [music] >> Some battles leave scars that never heal.