Papky

The Darvaza gas crater is one of the most extraordinary sites in Turkmenistan and is one of the most apocalyptic landscapes in the world. It is about 60 meters wide and 20 meters deep and it is not of a natural origin, but actually man-made. The Darvaza crater was created somewhere back in the 1950′s when the Soviets were trying to search for natural gas in this area.

Geologists were conducting gas drilling in Kara-Kum desert and discovered an underground chamber close to the village of Darvaza. The discovery of the chamber was accidental and resulted in drilling rig collapsing, leaving giant gas crater filled with poisonous gases exposed to the world outside. It was then when someone came with an idea to light the gas in the crater on fire so as to burn it before the poisonous fumes engulf the nearby town of Darvaza and it has since been burning.