The crater fire named "Gates of Hell" is seen near Darvaza, Turkmenistan, Saturday, July 11, 2020. The president of Turkmenistan is calling for an end to one of the country's most notable but infernal sights — the blazing desert natural gas crater widely referred to as the “Gates of Hell.” The crater, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) north of the capital Ashgabat, has been on fire for decades and is a popular sight for the small number of tourists who come to Turkmenistan, which is difficult to enter. (AP Photo/Alexander Vershinin)
The president of Turkmenistan is calling for an end to one of the country’s most notable but infernal sights — the blazing natural gas crater widely referred to as the “Gates of Hell.”
The desert crater located about 260 kilometers (160 miles) north of the capital, Ashgabat, has burned for decades and is a popular sight for the small number of tourists who come to Turkmenistan, a country which is difficult to enter.
The Turkmen news site Turkmenportal said a 1971 gas-drilling collapse formed the crater, which is about 60 meters (190 feet) in diameter and 20 meters (70 feet) deep. To prevent the spread of gas, geologists set a fire, expecting the gas to burn off in a few weeks.
The spectacular if unwelcome fire that has burned ever since is so renowned that state TV showed President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov speeding around it in an off-road truck in 2019.
But Berdymukhamedov has ordered his government to look for ways to put the fire out because it is causing ecological damage and affecting the health of people living in the area, state newspaper Neitralny Turkmenistan reported Saturday.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is set to star in a movie playing MMA and UFC legend, Mark Care, while Kevin Hart will headline a boxing project over on Peacock.
Perhaps the ultimate coming-home movie, “Apollo 13,” and the ultimate staying-home one, “Home Alone,” are both being honored this year, selected for preservation in the National Film Registry
The Food and Drug Administration is asking Congress for new powers, including the ability to mandate drug recalls and require eyedrop makers to undergo inspections before shipping products to the U.S.
Kendall Tichner, founder and CEO of Wild Captives Archery Range in Brooklyn, NY, joined Cheddar News to discuss how she got started after going viral with her skills during the pandemic and how it led her to open her archery range where she wants to cater to more women and LGBTQ+ communities.
Emmy-winning actor Andre Braugher, best known in TV shows like 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' and 'Homicide: Life on the Street,' died on Monday at the age of 61.
