The 12 Worst Human-Made Disasters of All Time

The 12 Worst Human-Made Disasters of All Time — page 3
2 Door to Hell Burns for Decades in Turkmenistan Desert Geologists went to the Karakum Desert in 1971 to find oil They began to drill in present-day Turkmenistan near the village of Darvaza These scientists did not find oil Instead they drilled right into a large pocket of natural gas The large craters gave off natural gas It contained a gas called methane The methane made it difficult for people and animals to breathe Scientists noticed desert animals dying Something had to be done When oil drills hit the natural gas cavity the ground gave way It couldn’t support the weight of the machinery The entire site collapsed Other areas near the drill site also caved in Open craters dotted the Karakum Desert Geologists lit the natural gas field on fire They hoped the gas would burn off quickly After a few weeks the fires still burned Months passed Then years Then decades More than 40 years later the Darvaza gas crater is still on fire