Turkmenistan plans to extinguish vast gas crater fire dubbed ‘Gateway to hell’

President Berdymukhamedov orders experts to find way to put out five-decade-old blaze Karakum desert

Turkmenistan's strongman leader has ordered experts to find a way to finally extinguish a massive five-decade-old fire in a giant natural gas crater, labelled the gateway to hell".

Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, president of the central Asian country, appeared on state television on Saturday, telling officials to put out the flames at the Darvaza gas crater in the middle of the vast Karakum desert. He cited environmental and economic concerns.