These remarkable pictures show a burning crater in the middle of
the Karakum desert in Turkmenistan, affectionately known by the
locals as "the door to hell".
The pit, which was created when Soviet scientists botched an oil
drill in a natural gas field in 1971, is set to become a new
tourist attraction for the region, which officials hope will boosts
the number of people who visit Turkmenistan each year.
Scientists set the hole on fire after a drilling rig collapsed,
thinking it would burn out within weeks. That was more than four
decades ago, with the fiery aperture showing little sign of cooling
down.
Speaking to AFP, an official from the country’s tourist board said:
"The burning crater... is attracting more and more interest every
year, especially among foreign tourists. The ‘lifeless’ desert
could soon become a hugely interesting destination for different
types of tourism - from eco-tourism to extreme sports."
