Turkmenistan President plans to extinguish decades-old fire in 'Gateway of Hell'

The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, has once again decided to put off the flaming Darvaza natural gas crater, which is popularly known as the "Gates of Hell." Located around 260 kilometres (160 miles) north of the capital, Ashgabat, the Darvaza gas crater is a major tourist attraction for visitors who come to Turkmenistan. 

Berdymukhamedov ordered government officials to extinguish the decades-old fire, citing ecological damage and economic loss. He said the incessant fire in the pit is destroying several vital resources.

'Gateway to Hell' burning since 1971

Turkmenistan's President mentioned that the natural gas crater "negatively affects both the environment and the health of the people living nearby" and emphasised that the nation is losing vital natural resources, which could be of significant profit and could possibly be used for improving the well-being of citizens. Notably, the flames have been burning since 1971, when a Soviet drilling operation went wrong.

Berdymukhamedov directed the government officials to "find a solution to extinguish the fire" in order to prevent further harm to the people who are residing in the region. Earlier, in 2010, efforts were made by Berdymukhamedov's government to put off the fire, but after the operation remained unsuccessful. In 2018, the popular pit was renamed "Shining of Karakum". Earlier, in 2019, Berdymukhamedov had visited the crater, and footage of him speeding around the crater in an off-road truck had emerged on social media platforms.

What is the Gates of Hell?

The Gates of Hell is a pit roughly 260 kilometres (160 miles) north of the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat. According to the Turkmen news site, Turkmenportal, the "Gates of Hell" was created back in 1971 during a Soviet drilling accident that hit a gas cavern in the Karakum desert, causing it to accidentally collapse. The Soviet geologists started the fire in order to prevent the spread of natural gas, but the fire has not been extinguished since then. However, there are other rumours that say no one actually knows how the fire started, and the huge crater was formed in the 1960s but was only lit in the 1980s. 

(With inputs from AP, Image: AP)