'Gates of Hell': How has this gas pit in Turkmenistan been burning since 1971? Mystery unraveled
gas crater in the Turkmenistan desert known as the "Gates of Hell" has been blazing for more than fifty years. The Darvaza gas crater is another name for it, and it was named after a nearby village. There is fire and methane gas inside the crater.
How is “Gates of Hell” formed?
Diverse narratives exist on the formation date and process of the Gates of Hell. The most prevalent theory states that the crater was formed in 1971 when a Soviet gas drilling rig struck a natural gas reservoir by accident. Due to the drilling disaster, the rig's surrounding ground collapsed, causing the equipment to be carried away and a significant gas reservoir leak. According to Yahoo News, Methane gas and other toxic smells began to emerge from the crater when the ground broke up. The crater is about 100 feet (30 meters) deep and 230 feet (70 meters) broad.
Want a Loan? Get cash against your Mutual Funds in 4 hoursThe fire continues to burn
Geologists devised an audacious plan to avert a natural disaster and stop the fumes from poisoning the residents of neighboring villages. Soviet scientists set the crater on fire shortly after it erupted in the hopes that the flames would burn off the methane gas in a few weeks. But the fire never went out and has continued to burn ever since.
What happened to “Gates of Hell”?
Despite the Turkmenistan president's announcement of efforts to close the Darvaza gas crater, it is still burning fifty-three years later. Situated on the Amu-Darya Basin, which spans Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the crater is
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