| Rain doesn’t often fall there, but even when it does it’s unable to put out this everlasting fire. AccuWeather spoke to the only person to have climbed down into the crater even as it grows more dangerous. For more than 50 years, the glow of the blazing "Gates of Hell" inferno, formally known as the Darvaza Gas Crater, has illuminated the skies of the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan, yet it remains a mystery to most. Canadian-born scientific explorer George Kourounis, the only person to have descended into the center of the fiery pit, told AccuWeather that the Gates of Hell "is one of the most interesting places on Earth." "It almost looks like a volcano out in the middle of the desert," he said. But now its fate may be sealed. The decades-old fiery sight that has become a popular draw for the few tourists who dare to venture to that remote part of the Central Asian country may soon be squelched forever. The president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, said he believes the massive molten pit is “negatively” impacting the health of the people living in the area and the environment and wants it extinguished, according to a report by The Associated Press. The president, himself known to be captivated by the sight and even seen on state TV in 2019 speeding around the pit in an off-road vehicle, has asked his government to find ways to safely put out the flames once and for all. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to accomplish what has not been possible until now. | 
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