[HN Gopher] In Turkmenistan a 230 feet wide gas crater has been ... ___________________________________________________________________ In Turkmenistan a 230 feet wide gas crater has been burning since 1971 Author : joak Score : 7 points Date : 2022-01-15 22:11 UTC (49 minutes ago) (HTM) web link (www.atlasobscura.com) (TXT) w3m dump (www.atlasobscura.com) | joak wrote: | Excerpt: "The Gates of Hell crater was created in 1971 when a | Soviet drilling rig accidentally punched into a massive | underground natural gas cavern, causing the ground to collapse | and the entire drilling rig to fall in. Having punctured a pocket | of gas, poisonous fumes began leaking at an alarming rate. | | To head off a potential environmental catastrophe, the Soviets | set the hole alight, figuring it would stop burning within a few | weeks." | 6LLvveMx2koXfwn wrote: | Relevant update; Soon to be extinguished? | | https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/08/turkmenistan-p... ___________________________________________________________________ (page generated 2022-01-15 23:01 UTC)