
A world-renowned explorer has become the first person to descend into The Door to Hell - a flame pit in Turkmenistan that has burned for more than 40 years.

Spectacular images have been released of George Kourounis, 44, rappelling 100ft down into the crater amid 1,000C temperatures and walking across its surface.

The Canadian was part of the first-ever expedition into the flame pit, located in remote Turkmenistan, which is named the 'Door to Hell'.

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Explorer George Kourounis rappels down into the massive crater, which has burned for more than 40 years

Mr Kourounis, pictured wearing his heat-resistant aluminium suit, tests the temperatures on the edge of the crater

Inside the crater - dubbed The Door to Hell - he collected rock samples which later revealed bacteria was present

The bizarre landmark, officially called The Darvaza Crater, has been alight for more than 40 years after Soviet scientists set it on fire

Pictured left and right is Mr Kourounis, who became the first person to enter the crater when he abseiled into it in 2013

The bizarre landmark - officially called The Darvaza Crater - has been alight for more than 40 years after a drilling accident caused Soviet scientists to set it on fire to burn off excess gas.

When Mr Kourounis, from Toronto, Canada, heard a rumour the Turkmenistan government was planning to extinguish the flames, he decided to up his efforts to visit the location.

In the past he has taken on volcanoes and revealed his aim, as well as to walk on the surface of the fire pit, was to collect samples of dirt to be analysed.

He completed the challenge in the winter of 2013 and it was later discovered bacteria was present, despite the hot, methane-rich environment.

Newly-released images capture him dangling precariously above the crater wearing a heat-reflective suit, breathing apparatus and a custom-made Kevlar harness.

He would stay in the crater for around 15 minutes before being pulled out by the rigging team.

He said: ' Since this was something nobody had ever done before there was a lot of uncertainty and questions. How hot was it at the bottom? Is the air breathable? Will the ropes survive? What if something goes wrong?

'Nobody knew the answers - not even me. When I actually set foot at the bottom it was an overwhelming feeling.

'I was in a spot where no human had ever been. It was like stepping onto an alien planet - more people have been on the moon. It was exciting, adventurous, dangerous, a world first and a contribution to science.

'The expedition had everything I love.'

To withstand the incredibly high temperatures inside the crater, Mr Kourounis required a heat-reflective suit, breathing apparatus and a custom-made Kevlar harness

After Mr Kourounis heard the government was planning to close the crater, he decided he needed to enter it

PIctured at night, the burning gas from inside the Darvaza Crater illuminates the area and skyline

The crater has a diameter of about 70m and is located in rural Turkmenistan - about 260km from the capital of Ashgabat

The crater is situated on one of the largest gas reserves in the world and was first identified by Soviet Engineers in the 1970s