Overview
- Irina Luryeva of Turkmengaz told a June press briefing that the reduction in fires is nearly threefold compared with prior years.
- The crater is widely reported to have formed in 1971 when Soviet drilling collapsed a gas chamber and engineers ignited it to burn off escaping gas.
- Official archival records of the original incident are described as classified, inaccessible or missing, reflecting longstanding gaps in documentation.
- Canadian explorer George Kourounis made the only documented descent in 2013 with National Geographic, collecting samples that revealed several types of bacteria.
- Located near the village of Darvaza in the Karakum Desert, the crater is roughly 60–70 meters wide and about 98 feet deep and has become a notable tourist draw.