These are the astonishing images of the very aptly named Door To Hell, a fiery crater caused by a drilling blunder that is baffling scientists after flaming away for more than 40 years.

The 230-feet wide crater, situated near Derweze village in Turkmenistan, was named the Door to Hell by locals, referring to the endless flames and boiling mud that can be found inside.

Originally a level surface, the site was identified by Soviet scientists in 1971 as an area that was believed to house a substantial oil field.

Still smoking: The Door To Hell, a 230-feet wide crater, situated near Derweze village in Turkmenistan, has been burning since 1971

A camp and drilling rig were set up nearby, and, after the Soviets were pleased with amount of gas resources that were believed to be at the site, it was agreed that gas from the field would start being stored.

However, the ground beneath the drilling rig soon collapsed, creating a wide crater that was believed to be releasing large quantities of methane gas, a potential danger to the nearby Turkmenistan villages.

Scientists decided that the most efficient way to solve the problem would be to burn off the poisonous gases – by doing so, it was expected that all of the gas in the crater would be burnt off within days.

More than four decades later, though, the crater is still ablaze – and hundreds of tourists flock to visit it every year.

The crater was formed when a Soviet drilling rig collapsed, releasing large quantities of methane gas

Attraction: Hundreds of tourists flock to visit the Door To Hell every year more than four decades after it was created

Back in 1971, Russian Scientists decided that the most efficient way to solve the problem would be to burn off the poisonous gases expecting it would take only a couple of days

The Karakum Desert, where Derweze is located, has one of the largest gas reserves in the world. Turkmenistan hopes to up its exportation rate around 75 million cubic meters of gas in the next 20 years.

Will Keeping, a retiree from Buchlyvie, near Stirling, visited the crater last month.

Unaware of the Door to Hell’s existence before he visited Turkmenistan, Will, 57, was told on his tour that the crater was one of the hundred most bizarre places to visit before you die. Intrigued, he decided to ride across the bleak dessert environment, not knowing what to expect.

Will said: ‘During daylight, I was initially not impressed as it looked like a hole in a vast desert. As we got nearer and the glow from inside the carter became evident, though, I started to notice the size of the crater and wondered how could continually glow like that.

‘As I approached on foot, it became clear that this was a large crater and that inside was like a huge open furnace.

‘At first, it appeared that it might have been a natural phenomenon, but the sides of the crater contradicted that. I could see the bent and rusted remains of some sort of metal railings or structure, implying some sort of catastrophe having occurred long before.

The Karakum Desert, where Derweze is located, has one of the largest gas reserves in the world. Turkmenistan hopes to up its exportation rate around 75 million cubic meters of gas in the next 20 years

‘I stood there gazing into the crater, the sheer size and intensity of the fire inside became more and more apparent.

‘As the sun began to set, the location slowly transformed from a large, isolated furnace in the middle of the desert into the centre of attention that dominated the surrounding area – the glow became more intense and lit up the area including the sky above.

‘It was impossible not to be drawn to the crater, something that was just dominant over the surrounding area.’

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