After a weeks-long disappearance that sparked rumours of his death, the President of Turkmenistan has appeared on state television driving a rally car around a flaming gas crater known as "Hell's Gate".

Key points: The stunt at Hell's Gate was Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's first TV appearance since July 15

The stunt at Hell's Gate was Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's first TV appearance since July 15 A rumour the President was dead spread following a report run by Turkmen regime opponents

A rumour the President was dead spread following a report run by Turkmen regime opponents The autocratic leader is a mainstay on state TV and has previously been filmed performing a rap song with his grandson and shooting targets while riding a bike

Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is a mainstay of state television in the gas-rich Central Asian state which has no free media and few sources of information that are not controlled by the Government he dominates.

This was his first appearance on TV since July 15, when he was shown writing a book, playing with cats and reviewing footage of himself and his grandson performing a song together.

Prior to that, his most recent appearance on state television had been on July 5, when he oversaw a session of government.

On Sunday, state television broadcast a report about Mr Berdymukhamedov, which showed him driving a rally car to the Hell's Gate crater — a flaming pit in the middle of the Karakum Desert.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 6 seconds 1 m 6 s Mr Berdymukhamedov was filmed performing a rap song with his grandson last year.

The report also showed Mr Berdymukhamedov, wearing a military-style outfit and a backwards-facing baseball cap, scoring three strikes in a bowling game, prompting rounds of standing applause from underlings dressed in identical tracksuits.

The 62-year-old autocratic leader has previously been filmed performing a rap song with his grandson, shooting targets while riding a bicycle, and even giving Russian President Vladimir Putin a puppy.

How did the death rumours start?

The rumour Mr Berdymukhamedov had died appeared to begin with a small foreign-based media outlet run by Turkmen regime opponents.

It subsequently spread across Russian-language websites after a little-known Russian analyst cited businessmen in Turkmenistan "who have acquaintances in the security services" as confirming the information during a Sunday interview with Moscow radio.

Mr Berdymukhamedov gifted Vladimir Putin a Turkmen shepherd dog, locally known as Alabai. ( Reuters: Maxim Shemetov )

Turkmenistan's embassy in Moscow denied the report the same day, calling it "not information but pseudo-information", while the Government said he was simply on holiday.

Mr Berdymukhamedov came to power in tightly controlled Turkmenistan in 2006 after eccentric predecessor Saparmurat Niyazov died — officially from a heart attack.

Like other presidents in the region, he has been dogged by chatter about ill health, even as fawning state media presents him as champion equestrian, ace rally driver and keen cyclist.

Commonly referred to as Arkadag, or Protector, Mr Berdymukhamedov has been steadily promoting his son Serdar, who is now regarded as a potential successor after becoming a provincial governor in June.

AFP/Reuters