ON FIRE SINCE 1916: The Indian Village Which Has Burned For 99 Years (PHOTOS)

Coal fires cause pollution and ground subsidence at the world's largest coal-fire complex near Jharia, India. It's thought it would be possible to extinguish the fires, but there is a lack of political will. (Photo: Anupma Prakesh)

The town of Jharia, in India's northeastern Jharkhand province, plays host to more than 70 fires which have burned continuously beneath the earth's surface since 1916. Village residents are dying of breathing disorders and skin diseases at alarming rates as underground fires that have raged for nearly a century continue to blanket the city in toxic smoke.

Here the infernos have been left to burn unhindered following a coal mine collapse in the resource-rich region - which produced a blaze so intense authorities have balked for decades at the effort required to extinguish it.

Daily Mail/Wired report:

Fuelled by billions of dollars’ worth of coal lying under the surface, the fires cause sinkholes which twenty years ago swallowed 250 homes within four hours.

Flames from the underground fires burst through the surface as a local man watches from afar

Toxic fumes - which include poisons such as sulfur, sulfur, carbon and nitrogen oxides - are a part of everyday life where coal emissions are causing devastatingly high rates of breathing disorders and skin diseases among locals.

Residents and children spend their days clamoring over the hot ground to eke out a living by chiseling out pieces of coal to sell at local markets.

The first coal mine fire was detected in the area in 1916 and is believed to be due to a open cast mine not being correctly decommissioned.

In the decades since, it has spread to become truly unmanageable.

The first coal mine fire was detected in the area in 1916 and is believed to be due to an open cast mine not being properly decommissioned. Trucks waiting to be laden with coal before traveling along a road in Bastacolla Colliery, in Jharia, Jharkhand

And despite repeated warnings that the town and surrounding area is on the brink of an ecological and humanitarian disaster, little has been done to help residents despite promises to move the entirety of the town.

It is believed that if the remaining coal still sitting below the surface (1.5billion tonnes) was to burn at a similar rate, the fires could last for another 3,800 years, Earth Magazine reported.

Women and children scavenge coal from the area as a permanent shroud of toxic emissions blanket the sky

Photographer Johnny Haglund visited the area last year for his award-winning photo project The Earth is on Fire and described feeling as though his skin was on fire.

In spite of horrendous living conditions, he also witnessed children making their way through the area in bare feet in order to eke out a living from what coal they could salvage.

He said: 'At the end of every day I had a layer of coal on my clothes and my skin and sometimes and I often felt like my face was burning,' Wired reported.

'I had pretty heavy boots, but sometimes just walking around the soles almost melted off. I saw young kids - six or seven years old - carrying coal with no shoes on, breathing that air. It was terrible.'

A group of women carry baskets of coal back to their village to sell. Many families are forced to earn a living in the dangerous area

A man bathes in water which is in itself badly contaminated after spending several days scavenging coal