BEIJING, Nov 21: An underground coal fire in remote northwest China that has raged unchecked for over 50 years has finally been put out, state media reported on Wednesday. More than 12.43 million tonnes of coal had been consumed in the fire and an estimated 651 million tonnes saved at the Terak field in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang autonomous region, the Coalfield Fire Fighting Project Office was quoted as saying.

Often smouldering in coal seams on or just below the surface, the fires have shaped the landscape of Xinjiang for millennia.

The layers of coal can go on for miles underground, which means they have fuel to burn for decades or centuries.

The smoke darkens already polluted skies, the fires emit poisonous gases, and can even make the earth cave in when weak ash replaces firm coal underground.—Reuters