A spate of selfie-taking tourists at Chernobyl — one wearing little more than her underwear — in the wake of a hit TV series on the world's worst nuclear disaster has sparked anger, with the show's author urging more respect for the dead.

The nuclear plant and the abandoned town that neighbors it in Ukraine have witnessed a spike in visitors since the drama, made by HBO, aired in May to rave reviews.

But some have been criticized for failing to respect the site's tragic history with inappropriate selfies — an increasingly common theme at disaster zones.