The Horrifying, Creepy 'Door To Hell' In Turkmenistan Keeps On Burning For Almost 50 Years

First Posted: Feb 01, 2017 02:21 AM EST
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The man-made crater of fire known as "Door To Hell" in Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert is everlastingly burning now for nearly 50 years. It is the result of the Soviet-era gas drilling accident, which is officially known as the Darvaza Gas Crater.

It is about the size of a football field with a 230-foot-wide crater. So, how does this thing come into existence? A team of Soviet scientists looked for natural gas on the said desert in 1971. They set up a drilling platform. On the other hand, it accidentally hit a massive underground gas cavern and collapsed. Then, it shaped a sinkhole and pulled the whole drilling platform into it, according to Science Alert.

The Soviets concealed the disaster. There was no report of the incident and no casualties, too. On the other hand, it is believed that the sinkhole slurped and buried everything that was above it.

Huffington Post reports that the crater of fire is visited by hundreds of tourists every year. Meanwhile, the country's president ordered it to be vacated in 2010. On the other hand, it did not materialize. It is known that Turkmenistan ranks fifth in the world in natural gas reserves.

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