Video: "Gates of Hell" - The Fire Pit That Has Burned for Half a Century

The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, has ordered a method to extinguish what is known as the "Gates of Hell," a large pit that has been continuously aflame for about fifty years in the Karakum Desert due to a natural gas leak. During a government meeting, the Turkmen president instructed Deputy Prime Minister Shakhim Abdrakhmanov, who is responsible for the oil and gas sector, to work on extinguishing the flames in this pit. Berdimuhamedow stated that "this situation has a negative impact on the environment and the health of people living nearby." This pit, known as the "Gates of Hell," is a depression approximately 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep, from which flames are rising. The burning pit appeared in 1971 when a well was drilled in the area in search of natural gas, resulting in a collapse. Geologists then decided to ignite the gas escaping from the pit, hoping it would burn out in a few days and thus prevent further leakage.