It looks like a scene from an apocalyptic sci-fi blockbuster. Known as ‘The Door to Hell’ this crater has been flaming away for more than four decades and it has baffled scientists.
Located in Derweze, in the middle of the Kara-Kum desert, the site was identified by Soviet scientists in 1971, who believed to house a substantial oil field.
Due to the Soviet drilling rig mishap, the crater was created and it was believed to be releasing large quantities of methano gas. Fearing that toxic gas would be released into the air, scientists decided to burn off the poisonous gases, hoping that fuel would be consumed within days.
However, the gas supply seems to be never ending and more than four decades later, the crater is still ablaze. The amazing phenomenon has attracted many visitors to the place and hundreds of tourists flock to visit it every year.
The Karakum Desert reportedly has one of the largest gas reserves in the world.