Turkmenistan

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26-9 After crossing the border we were picked up by 4WD vehicles to drive through the desert to the Darvaza gas crater. The Derweze area is rich in natural gas, and, whilst drilling in 1971, Soviet geologists tapped into a cavern filled with gas. The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a large hole with a diameter of 80 metres. To avoid poisonous gas discharge it was decided the bes... Read Full Entry

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