The 'Gate of Hell' is finally closing

by Scary Side of Earth

The 69-meter-diameter hole in Darvaza , Turkmenistan, is called the ' Gate of Hell ' because it was lit to prevent the spread of methane gas and has been burning for over 50 years. The Turkmenistan government announced in a state-run broadcast in January 2022 that it was moving towards closing the gates of hell.

The'Gates of Hell' may finally be closed, Turkmenistan's president announces | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/turkmenistan-gates-of-hell-finally-closed

The Quest to Extinguish the Flames of Turkmenistan's Terrifying'Gates of Hell' Firepit | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-quest-to-extinguish-the-flames-of-turkmenistans-terrifying-gates-of-hell-firepit-180979458/

The Karakum Desert, where the Gate of Hell is located, is said to have one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, and in 1971 the Soviet Union tried to build a natural gas field. However, in a preliminary survey, it collapsed, and a large hole with a diameter of 69 meters and a depth of 30 meters was opened on the ground.

If toxic gas such as methane gas leaks from this hole and flows into neighboring villages and towns, it is expected to cause great damage, so engineers tried to ignite the hole and burn the gas to prevent its spread. .. Initially it was thought that the fire would go out soon, but as of 2022 the fire continues to burn.

You can see how the gate of hell is actually burning by watching the following movie.

Door to Hell (Gate of Hell) ｜ Turkmenistan gas crater 4k drone --YouTube


Since then, this hell gate has become one of the leading tourist attractions in Turkmenistan, and it is said that a little less than 10,000 tourists visit it every year. Turkmenistan is known as a dictatorship alongside North Korea, and the number of tourist attractions is very limited, making the Gate of Hell a valuable tourist resource.

However, in 2010, Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the Gate of Hell and decided to blockade the area around the Gate of Hell. 'The Gate of Hell has a negative impact on both the environment and health of our neighbors,' he said, instructing experts to find a way to extinguish the burning fire at the Gate of Hell. However, it seems that the attempt to extinguish the fire has failed.

Also, in 2019, President Berdimuhamedov released a video of driving a rally car around the Gate of Hell to deny his death theory pointed out by the opposition. You can see the situation in the following movie.

Turkmenistan leader drives around flaming crater in first new footage since death rumours --YouTube


President Berdimu Hamedov told state television on January 8, 2022, 'We can make great profits by closing the gates of hell and have lost valuable natural resources to improve people's well-being. I will. ' For Turkmenistan, which boasts the world's fourth largest natural gas reserves, it seems that it was judged that it would be more profitable to mine resources as a natural gas field than to maintain the Gate of Hell as a tourism resource.