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Door to Hell: The Derweze crate in Turkmenistan has been burning since 1971

The pit, situated within a natural gas fields, was created after a drilling rig collapsed in 1971.

Fearing that large quantities of methane gas could be emitted from the crate and harm the nearby town, scientists decided to set it on fire, expecting it to burn off within days.

More than four decades later, though, the crater is still ablaze - and hundreds of tourists flock to visit it every year. And the country’s government is now looking to turn it into a key destination for adventure tourists.

Thrill seekers: Visitors can stand right on the edge of the crate, which, despite the danger, is not fenced off

Tourism boost: Turkmenistan's government is looking to turn the crate into a key destination for adventurers

Scientific mistake: The pit, situated within a natural gas fields, was created after a drilling rig collapsed in 1971

‘The burning crater... is attracting more and more interest every year, especially among foreign tourists,’ an official on Turkmenistan's state committee on tourism told AFP.

‘The “lifeless” desert could soon become a hugely interesting destination for different types of tourism -- from eco-tourism to extreme sports,’ he said.

Thrill seekers can stand right on the edge of the crate, which, despite the danger, is not fenced off and can reach temperatures of more than 50 degrees. But the sandy soil can crumble away, so visitors are advised to pay extreme care.

There are no road signs to reach the Derweze crate in the the Karakum Desert, or Black Sands, which has one of the largest gas reserves in the world and is also part of a natural reserve created last year that covers an area of 90,000 hectares.  

The crate in the the Karakum Desert is part of a natural reserve created last year

A burning crater in the middle of Karakum desert could become Turkmenistan's new tourism hotspot, thanks to new plans from the government.

Situated about 270 kilometres north of the capital Ashgabat near Derweze village, the so-called Door to Hell is the result of a drilling blunder by Soviet scientists.

Turkmenistan tourist officials hope the crate will help boost visitor numbers in the former Soviet state, which currently welcomes just 12,00 to 15,000 people from around 50 countries each year.