Giant hole in desert has been on fire for over 40 years
Rex
What you see isn't a scene from a sci-fi film or a picture of outer space. It is a giant hole of fire in the middle of the Karakum Desert, which has been burning for over 40 years.
The crater in Derweze, Turkmenistan, was made by Soviet geologists in 1971 who were drilling at the site and tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas, the Daily Mail reported.
The ground underneath the rig collapsed and left a hole with a diameter of 70 metres. The team were afraid the hole would release poisonous gases and decided to burn it off.
They hoped it would be put out after a few days but the hole has been burning ever since and is today known to locals as 'The Door to Hell'.
A golden glow generated by the flames can be seen for miles around the village of Derweze and even attracts visitors.
In April 2010, the president of Turkmenistan ordered that the hole should be closed but this is yet to happen.
The Karakum Desert covers most of the country and lies east of the Caspian Sea.
Watch a video of 'The Door to Hell' burning below....
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