Ancient beliefs and rituals have long been associated with Europe, and one such legend is currently taking place in a Russian town. Residents of Batagay hamlet in Yakutia are warning that a ‘mouth to hell’, a portal to the underworld, has opened in Siberia.
A massive 282-foot-deep crater (sinking mass) is still growing and affecting the landscape. The Batagaika crater is a gaping hole in the Earth’s surface that was originally recorded in the 1980s and has since grown to a length of one kilometre and a depth of 86 metres (approximately 282 feet). The open Earth has revealed soil layers ranging in age from 1,20,000 to 2,00,000 years old, with preliminary dating indicating that the lowest layer could be up to 6,50,000 years old. This.
Images of the Batagaika crater show a massive mass of Earth sinking and engulfing everything in its path. Because its movement has not stabilised and is irreversible, the crater is currently rising by 20 to 30 metres every year. At this rate, the expanding Hellmouth will consume everything in its path. Melting permafrost land is the cause of the crater.
During the Quaternary Ice Age 2.58 million years ago, the land at the site was permanently frozen. In the 1960s, when the forest was cleared, sunlight reached the ground and began to warm it.
Later, when the ice in the soil melted, the ground began to compact, slump, and subside. Because of the impact of global warming on temperatures, more such ‘mouths to hell’ may arise around the world shortly. As the Earth warms, more of its surface may be exposed to greater temperatures, causing ice deep beneath the surface to melt.
Locals have reported hearing disturbing booms coming from the spot because of the crater’s expanding size. The Yakut people who live in the area believe in a supernatural spirit world. Their culture is deeply rooted in the natural world, and they rely on hunting, trapping, and fishing for survival. The Yakut people are primarily found in Russia, but tiny numbers can also be found in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Latvia.
