Inside the Anzob ‘tunnel of death’ in Tajikistan

Good luck getting out of here alive.

The Anzob Tunnel was supposed to make life easier for people wanting to travel between Tajikistan’s major cities. Before the tunnel was built, drivers had to cross the border into Uzbekistan via a dirt road in order to travel between the Tajik capital of Duschanbe, and it’s second biggest city of Khujand. They also faced the threat of year-round avalanches blocking the roads, leaving people with the only option of flying — simply too expensive for most.

So a 5km long (3.1 miles!), $4 billion tunnel, built by Iran, was meant to be a step up.

The tunnel was officially opened in 2006 but remained unfinished until March this year. Within a matter of three months, it had to be closed for repair work and reopened in September.

It quickly became known as the “tunnel of death” by locals and those who braved the nightmarish journey.