Turkmenistan's Creepy Hell On Earth

Source

The picture above is a natural gas field in Derweze, otherwise known as Darvaza Turkmenistan that has been burning continuously since it was discovered in 1971 thus buying it the name it is popularly known as "THE DOOR TO HELL", which was so given by the field locals.

What Actually Happened?

The site was discovered by Soviet engineers in 1971. Originally it was seen to be a substantial oil field site, but it turned out to a gas field.

It is believed that the engineers set up a drilling rig and camp nearby and underwent drilling operations to assess the quantity of oil available at the site. During their operation, they found gas instead of oil and the ground beneath the drilling rig and camp collapsed into a wide crater. Expecting dangerous releases of poisonous gases from the cavern into the nearby towns, the engineers saw it as best to burn the gas off.

They thought the gas would burn out within a few weeks, but as you read this, it is still burning and it has been so for more than four decades after it was set on fire.