Gates of Hell: Turkmenistan plans to close its blazing gas crater

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

THIS RAGING INFERNO MIGHT LOOK LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A MOVIE – BUT IT’S VERY REAL.
IT’S THE DARVAZA GAS CRATER, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE GATES OF HELL.

IT SPANS 190 FEET AND HAS BEEN SPEWING OUT FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KARAKUM DESERT FOR DECADES.
AND NOW THE PRESIDENT OF TURKMENISTAN HAS ORDERED OFFICIALS TO FIND A WAY TO PUT IT OUT.

GEORGE KOUROUNIS:

THERE’S A BIT OF CONTROVERSY AS TO HOW WE BELIEVE IT WAS FORMED. MOST SEEM TO BELIEVE IT HAPPENED IN 1971 BUT THERE’S EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST IN HAPPENED IN THE 1960’S AND WASN’T ACTUALLY LIT ON FIRE UNTIL THE 1980’S.

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

THE GOVERNMENT SAYS THE GAS CRATER IS CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE AND AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE LIVING NEARBY – BUT THIS EXPLORER SAYS IT’S MIXED MESSAGING.

GEORGE KOUROUNIS:

THERE ARE NO LOCALS. THIS IS A VERY REMOTE PART OF THE DESERT. IT HAS BEEN IMPLIED THAT PART OF THE REASON IS FINANCIAL.

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

THE FIERY PIT IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN TURKMENISTAN – WHERE TOURISM IS A RELATIVELY SMALL INDUSTRY.
DO YOU THINK IT’S TIME FOR THE GATES OF HELL TO BE EXTINGUISHED?

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.