Your typical drone can withstand temperatures of up to 40C (104F), so it's just as well this one didn't get too close to a crater nicknamed 'The Door to Hell' where the heat can reach 1,000C (1,830F). Aerial footage has captured incredible views over the apocalyptic Darvaza crater, a flame pit in the middle of the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan, that has burned for more than 40 years. The 69 metres-wide by 30 meters-deep crater was formed when a group of Soviet engineers exploring sources of natural gas saw their rig collapse creating the hell mouth. Fearing dangerous gases would be released into the atmosphere, they set it alight in the hope it would burn off in a few weeks.
That very clearly didn't work. It hasn't stopped burning since that day in 1971 and has become a major tourist draw to the sparsely populated Derweze region. Drone operator and photographer Alessandro Belgiojoso captured the stunning high-definition footage of the eerie sight. He said: 'The crater's story is fascinating. The story goes that at the time of the Soviet Union, Russians heavily drilled the desert seeking natural gas in the fourth richest country in the world for natural gas reserves. 'Some miscalculation led to machinery, and most probably operating engineers, falling into the ground. 'As gas poured into the atmosphere - making it impossible to live in small villages even at a great distance in the desert - the best option was to light up the gas and wait for the gas field to dry up. 'But this didn't happen and it has been astonishing visitors ever since. This story is not something to be proud of as tourism is not really welcomed by the authorities.' Despite this, the site, 150 miles from Turkmenistan's capital, Ashgabat, has become a draw for hundreds of curious onlookers each year, keen to catch a close-up glimpse of the mesmerizing fire pit.