AMMAN: Jordanian authorities were on Wednesday conducting an investigation to try to explain an unusual phenomenon whereby the heat of a plot of land rose dramatically to more than 400 degrees Celsius.
The drastic overheating occurred in an area of about 2,000 square meters in the Balqa province, about 15 km west of Amman, according to Balqa Gov. Abdul Jalil Sleimat.
“The phenomenon was discovered by accident when sheep entered the plot while grazing,” he said.
Sleimat quoted the shepherd attending the herd as saying that the sheep caught fire and “completely burned and disappeared”.
He said any material thrown into the area burned quickly and flames came out.
The authorities have deployed police in the area, which was also sealed off with phosphoric tape. The area’s people were evacuated to ensure their safety, Sleimat said.
The government has also set up an ad hoc panel involving several departments and academic institutions to study the phenomenon.
Head of the Jordan Geologists Association Bahjat Adwan dismissed the presence of any earthquake or volcanic activity in the area.
Director of the Natural Resources Authority Maher Hijazin said organic materials could have gathered under the surface of the ground and interacted in a way that heated up an area of 50-60 square meters. He pointed out that the affected area lay at the end of a sewage pipeline.
