Door to Hell: Turkmenistan's Fiery Crater Burns for 50+ Years, Mystery Unravels

• The Darvaza gas crater, known as the "Door to Hell," has been burning for over 50 years in Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert.
• It formed in 1971 after a Soviet drilling accident; geologists ignited escaping methane, expecting it to burn for days.
• The pit is 70 meters wide and 30 meters deep, continuously fed by vast underground gas reserves, becoming a surreal tourist attraction.
• Officials have debated extinguishing it for years, with orders issued in 2022 due to environmental and economic concerns.
• Reports suggest fire reduction is nearly threefold, with flames weakening, though the crater still burns visibly, and spiders are anecdotally reported near its rim.