Mystical Waters of Mecca: Unveiling the Truth Behind the Baffling ‘Water and Fire’ Fountain
- A viral video has been circulating on social media, claiming to show a fountain in Saudi Arabia where water and fire flow simultaneously, sparking fears of a "strange...
- The video, which has been trending on several social media platforms, was actually shot in Iraqi Kurdistan, and the flames originated from a well where gas leaked into...
- After conducting a search, older versions of the video were found on social media sites, indicating that it was shot by a photographer in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Debunking the ‘End of the World’ Fountain Video
A viral video has been circulating on social media, claiming to show a fountain in Saudi Arabia where water and fire flow simultaneously, sparking fears of a “strange phenomenon” that heralds the “end of the world.” However, this claim is misleading.
The video, which has been trending on several social media platforms, was actually shot in Iraqi Kurdistan, and the flames originated from a well where gas leaked into the water.
After conducting a search, older versions of the video were found on social media sites, indicating that it was shot by a photographer in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
A YouTube search with keywords such as “well+fire+Kurdistan” revealed a video report broadcast by Al Jazeera in 2015 that appeared in the broadcast video.
Reports confirmed that the well is located in the Chachamal Governorate of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, contrary to the misleading claim that it was in Mecca.
What Caused the Fire?
According to reports, the farmer who dug the well was surprised by the unpleasant smell emitted during the digging process, before a committee from the Ministry of Natural Resources inspected the well and confirmed that the water contained a gas mixture, which was the cause of the fire.
Further research revealed that a video clip of the same incident was released in 2017 by Iraq Nature, an Iraqi non-governmental organization accredited by the United Nations Environment Program and concerned with protecting Iraq’s environment.
Iraq’s Nature Agency confirmed that the well it photographed was the one shown in the circulated video and explained that the incident took place in the Chachamal area, about 45 kilometers west of Sulaymaniyah city, an area known for its natural gas fields.
The agency stated that a local farmer dug a well to water his crops and it emitted a strong odor similar to rotten eggs, indicating the presence of hydrogen sulfide.
Due to high temperatures in the area, the gas ignited, causing tongues of fire to emerge from the well.
A similar incident occurred earlier last year in Tunisia, when a farmer dug a well only to be surprised when it caught fire because there was gas in the ground.