According to Wikipedia, in 1971, geologists drilling in Turkmenistan came across a massive cavern that was filled with natural gas. For whatever reason, perhaps to flame off hydrogen sulfide, or perhaps accidentally, the gas was set on fire.
It’s still burning today. The locals call it the “Door to Hell.”
Check out this video from a nearby hilltop:
He’s also got a close-up video. At the very start, you can see a tiny human figure on the left-hand side. That will give you an idea of the scale of this enormous pit. It’s between 50 and 100 metres wide:
Amazingly, you can see it on the satellite imagery from Google Maps, even though their resolution in that area of Turkmenistan is awful.
If, instead, you believe that Hell is cold and not hot, try this alternative “Door to Hell”.
(via English Russia)
Grant Hamilton
2 Responses to “‘Door to Hell’ is a massive pit of flame in Turkmenistan”
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That is CRAZY awesome!
I know! We should totally go.
If we book right now, we can take a two-week trip over my birthday and it’s only $10,000!
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