The Gate To Hell

Turkmenistan's Karakum desert is a sparsely populated area, primarily because of its harsh climate. It is famous for the Darwaza gas crater, which was given that name in honor of a local settlement. The crater is also referred to by the locals as The Gate To Hell, and for a worthy cause. Due to all the trapped gas that is still there underground, it is around 230 feet wide and has been burning for more than 50 years.

Soviet drilling equipment accidentally drilled through a natural gas cavern in 1971, creating the hole. As a result, the entire drilling operation collapsed along with the ground. The oilfield operators made the decision to light them on fire and let them burn out in order to close the hole and stop harmful games from further polluting the environment. That idea, as you can see, didn't quite work out because they greatly overestimated the amount of gas present in that hole. Since then, the pit has been constantly on fire.

Location: Darvaza, Turkmenistan