Did Someone Just Open a Portal to Hell in China?

There’s a simpler explanation.
Did Someone Just Open a Portal to Hell in China?
Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
|Updated:

A mysterious fiery hole was discovered by locals in western China, and now, villagers are afraid to go near it. The hole, which is a few feet wide, radiates intense heat and glows bright orange.

Some have called it a “door to hell,” but there’s a simpler explanation.

“Although it is unusual, we’re pretty certain that it has been caused by the spontaneous combustion of coal,” geologist Hu Tan told News Ltd. “The air blasting out of the hole is so hot, that if you hold a branch near to it bursts into flames,” he added.

And the hole--located near Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Province--is pretty hot.

“We have recorded a temperature of around 792C,” or about 1457 degrees F, another researcher added.

But the hole is nothing compared to the “Door to Hell” in the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan. The hole is 230 feet wide and has been burning since 1971 after a mishap.

Known as the Darvaza Crater, it’s fed by a near-limitless supply of natural gas:

Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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