Danger and demons: Yemen's mysterious 'Well of Hell'

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Al Mahra: Surrounded in mystery and tales of demons, the Well of Barhout in Yemen's east - known as the "Well of Hell" - is a little-understood natural wonder. Image Credit: AFP

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Closer to the border with Oman than to the capital Sanaa 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) away, the giant hole in the desert of Al-Mahra province is 30 metres wide and thought to be anywhere between 100 and 250 metres deep. Image Credit: AFP

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Local folklore says it was created as a prison for the demons - a reputation bolstered by the foul odours rising from its depths. Yemeni officials say they don't know what lies below. Image Credit: AFP

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"It's very deep - we've never reached the bottom of this well, as there's little oxygen and no ventilation," said Salah Babhair, director-general of Mahra's geological survey and mineral resources authority. Image Credit: AFP

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"We have gone to visit the area and entered the well, reaching more than 50-60 metres down into it. We noticed strange things inside. We also smelled something strange... It's a mysterious situation." Image Credit: AFP

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Sunlight doesn't extend far into the structure, and little can be seen from the edge except the birds that fly in and out of its depths. Videographers seeking close-ups of the inside of the well have said they are almost impossible to capture - local superstition has it that objects near the hole can be sucked towards it. Image Credit: AFP

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Babhair said that the well was "millions and millions" of years old. "These places require more study, research and investigation," he said. Over the centuries, stories have circulated of malign, supernatural figures known as jinns or genies living in the well. Image Credit: AFP

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Many local residents remain uneasy about visiting the vast hole, or even talking about it, for fear of ill fortune from a chasm which, legend has it, threatens life on Earth itself. Image Credit: AFP

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