The Door to Hell
In the middle of Turkmenistan's desert, a crater has been on fire for half a century. Locals call it the Door to Hell.
What was reported
Near the village of Darvaza in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan is a crater about 70 metres wide, filled with flames that have burned day and night for decades. At night its glow can be seen from far away, and visitors camp on its rim.
Its local nickname is the Door to Hell, or the Gates of Hell.
Explanations offered
The usual account is that Soviet geologists drilling for natural gas in 1971 accidentally collapsed the ground into a cavern, and set the escaping gas alight to burn it off, expecting it to stop within weeks. It is still burning. Turkmenistan's government has talked about putting it out to capture the gas.
- When
- Burning since about 1971
- Where
- Darvaza, Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan
- Witnesses
- Visitors and scientists
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.