No longer hot in hell:
Turkmenistan President Gurbangoli Bardimukhammedov surprised many tonight (Saturday) when he ordered experts in his country to put out the fire inside the famous crater in Darwaza, in the heart of the desert in the country.
It is a fire that has been burning for more than five decades in a crater created by natural gas drilling activities that were sloppily carried out by the Soviet Union in 1971.
The accident led to the collapse of the earth at a depth of 20 meters and a width of 70 meters, and immediately afterwards, following the fear that the natural gas would spread in an uncontrolled manner to the environment, it was decided to burn it.
But the fire continued unabated despite various efforts to put it out over the years.
A tourist hotspot in the heart of the desert of Turkmenistan.
"Gate of Hell", Photo: AFP
In time the place became a tourist attraction (although only a few come to the country) and was given the name "Gate of Hell" unofficially.
Geologists who have studied the site in recent years have questioned the official version, claiming that the crater may have been formed as early as the 1960s and that the combustion was caused by an unclear reason.
The official reason for the expected shutdown is the fear that continued combustion will cause environmental damage, the president said in a televised speech.
"The continued burning will have negative consequences for the environment and the health of the people living in the area," he said.
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