Is the "gateway to hell" closing? One of the most terrifying places on Earth has recorded changes

A mysterious crater in Turkmenistan, eerily called the "Gateway to Hell," has begun to fade away. The Darvaza gas crater is a natural gas field that has been burning continuously for more than half a century.

The crater is located in the Karakum desert. The country's government has already repeatedly contemplated shutting it down, but it seems that it will not last long in its burning state, The Sun writes.

Longtime visitors to Darwaza report that the 1,000-degree inferno is now much smaller than ever.

"I would say the level is burning at only 40 percent of the level I first observed there in 2009. Back then there were flames burning over a much larger area of the crater. Now there is less of it and it is not as high as it was," commented on the state of the crater - one of the tourists.

Another local guide said that the devil's flames have diminished over the past seven years and his 40 visits to Darwaza: "The flames used to be bigger than they are now, probably because the gas pocket is wearing out."

Located in the Karakum Desert, about 260 kilometers north of the capital Ashgabat, this fiery crater is one of the most unusual and eerie places on the planet.

"Gateway to Hell" was created during Soviet drilling operations in 1971. Geologists were searching for natural gas deposits when their equipment came across a gas-filled cavern. The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a large hole about 70 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep.

Fearing the spread of methane, the scientists decided to set the gas on fire, thinking it would burn off in a few weeks. But since then, the devil's flame has been blazing, fueled by the natural gas reserves in the area.

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