A gas leak from an underwater gas pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico has created a vortex of fire on the water's surface.



Much attention was paid to the surreal scene in which the sea was set on fire, but on the other hand, voices of doubt and criticism were poured out.



According to Mexican state-run oil company PEMEX and foreign media on the 3rd (local time), a leak occurred in an underwater gas pipe passing through the Gulf of Mexico around 5:15 am the previous day.



The spill point is only 150 meters from the well 'Kumalup Jaff' installed in Campeche Bay in the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico.



The well produces over 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day on average.



The fire was extinguished at 10:45 am, about five hours later.



No injuries were reported and the cause of the accident is under investigation.



This fire became a hot topic because of the shape of the flame.



If you look at the video, you can see that lava is boiling in the middle of the sea.



Along with the descriptions of 'The Gates of Hell' and 'Eye of Fire' on social media, evaluations were made that it resembled the 'Eyes of Sauron' from the movie 'Lord of the Rings'.



Environmental groups were concerned about environmental pollution.



"Nothing was spilled into the sea," said Angel Carizalez, director-general of ASEA, Mexico's oil safety management agency.



There was no explanation as to what caused the fire.



Because of that, there was a fire, but the explanation that there was no leak of gas, etc. was difficult to understand.



Greenpeace Mexico, an international environmental group, pointed out that the accident shows the dangers of relying on fossil fuels for energy.



"The incident proves that Mexico's fossil fuel model poses a serious threat to the environment and safety," Greenpeace said in a statement.



Greta Thunberg, a renowned environmental activist calling for a response to climate change, shared a video of the fire on Twitter.



Thunberg criticized, "This is the world they left us," said Thunberg.



Mexico has expanded its investment in the fossil fuel industry, including oil well development and refinery construction, since Andres Manuel López Obrador government took office in 2018.



(Photo=Twitter capture, Yonhap News)