A natural gas leak accident in Turkmenistan created a giant pit that burned in flames for 50 years. This natural phenomenon is called the gates of hell and has even become one of the tourist sites in Turkmenistan.
The Hell Gate tourist site is located about 260 kilometers north of Turkmenistan's capital, Ashgabat. This large hole has a width of 60 meters and a depth of 20 meters.
Uniquely, almost all of the space in this hole burned fiercely with a fire that continued to burn for fifty years. Although it seems mysterious and unique, actually the gates of hell in Turkmenistan occurred because of an accident by the Soviet Union.
In 1971, Soviet geologists accidentally hit a natural gas cave in the Karakum Desert and caused the surface above it to collapse. As a result, natural gas gushes out and is difficult to stop.
Experts tried to light a fire above it in the hope that the gas would also burn out, but so far it has never been extinguished. It's been 50 years, the president of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has the desire to put it out.
According to Berdymuhamedov, he has directed the entire government of Turkmenistan to find a way to extinguish this fire at the Gates of Hell.
A fire that has continued to burn without going out for 50 years shows that the natural gas resources below are so vast that they are endless.
The President of Turkmenistan considers it a waste of natural resources. In fact, if it can be processed properly and correctly, Turkmenistan's natural gas wealth can be a source of state income and can improve people's welfare.
Berdymuhamedov asked the deputy prime minister in charge of oil and gas to find the most effective way to extinguish the Hell's Gate fire. He will also consult with experts including experts from abroad on this matter.
However, reported by Russian media Russian Today, it is not yet clear what steps will be taken by Turkmenistan to extinguish this giant fire. In addition, extinguishing the flames at the Gates of Hell can be very difficult and cost a considerable amount of money.
Soviet engineers at the time estimated that by starting a fire, natural gas would burn and the fire would be extinguished within a few days. But that estimate was a big miss and the fire had not been extinguished for more than five decades.
