Why is the Door to Hell still burning?

The origin of the fire still remains a mystery but, according to some reports, the flames have been burning since 1971. A group of Soviet geologists accidentally created the crater, searching for oil, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. To burn away the dangerous methane, they reportedly set it on fire.

Has anyone found the Door to Hell?

The Door to Hell is a continually burning crater located in remote Turkmenistan. Adventurer George Kourounis describes being the first person to enter the Door to Hell and what he found when he reached the bottom.

Who discovered the Door to Hell?

Explorer George Kourounis
Explorer George Kourounis describes his descent into a fiery, gas-fueled crater. More than four decades ago, a gaping, fiery crater opened up in the desert of northern Turkmenistan (map), likely the result of a drilling mishap.

Where are the gates of Hell in Turkmenistan?

Panorama of the gas site burning, 2011. The Darvaza gas crater (Turkmen: Jähennem derwezesi, Җәхеннем дервезеси), known locally as the “Door to Hell” or ”Gates of Hell”, is a natural gas field collapsed into an underground cavern located in Derweze, Turkmenistan.

How did the door to hell get There?

The Door to Hell is a crater in a large natural gas field that has been burning for decades. It is said that a Soviet oil rig fell into the crater in 1971, and a geologist decided to get rid of the rig by setting the pit on fire.

What was the name of the gas crater in Turkmenistan?

The Darvaza gas crater (Turkmen media use the name “Shining of the Karakum”: Turkmen: Garagum ýalkymy ), also known as the Door to Hell or Gates of Hell, is a natural gas field collapsed into a cavern near Darvaza, Turkmenistan.

Why was the Darvaza crater called the door to Hell?

Named as the Darvaza Crater or “Door to Hell”, the gaping crater was created by a mining miscalculation in a natural gas field whose walls collapsed into an underground cavern. To prevent the toxic methane gas from escaping into the atmosphere and the surrounding areas, the geologists thought it best to set the crater on fire.