Gas leak at ONGC well sparks fire, 4-km radius evacuated
Mori (Andhra Pradesh): A gas leak at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation well in Andhra Pradesh’s Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district triggered a major fire on Monday, forcing the evacuation of two nearby villages within a four-kilometre radius, officials said. No deaths or injuries have been reported so far.
The incident occurred at the Mori-5 well in Malkipuram mandal, which is being operated by Deep Industries Limited as a production enhancement contractor for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. An ONGC official said that the blaze broke out after a gas pipeline leakage during ongoing operations at the site.
Residents of Irusumanda and Lakkavaram villages were shifted to safer locations as a precautionary measure, though officials said the exact number of evacuees was not immediately available. Around 10 fire tenders were deployed to contain the fire, which continued to rage late into the day.
In an official statement, ONGC said the gas leakage was reported during workover operations at Well Mori-5 by the PEC operator. The well is located in a remote area with no human habitation within approximately 600 metres. The affected zone has been cordoned off and cooling operations have begun.
ONGC said it has mobilised its Crisis Management Teams at both corporate and regional levels.
Preparatory work is underway to regain control of the well and, if necessary, cap it. The company has also initiated coordination with international well control specialists and activated mobilisation plans for advanced well control and casing cutting operations, subject to site assessment.
Additional equipment is being moved from nearby locations, including Rustumbada village near Narsapuram in West Godavari district. ONGC’s senior management and technical experts are closely overseeing the response.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu sought details of the incident and instructed officials to focus on bringing the flames under control. Senior ONGC officials from Rajahmundry rushed to the site to assess the situation and determine the cause of the leak.
The district administration has also swung into action. The district collector, superintendent of police, deputy collector and ONGC officials are monitoring developments from a temporary secretariat located about 100 metres from the blaze, coordinating firefighting and safety measures.
Eyewitness accounts described a thick white cloud of gas initially spreading over surrounding paddy fields and coconut groves before igniting into a towering inferno visible across the Godavari delta. Videos circulated on social media showed local police personnel and workers in orange, red and blue safety gear running from the area, with fire tenders stationed nearby.
The fire broke out amid newly planted rabi season paddy crops and palm trees, with dense smoke continuing to blanket the agricultural landscape.
Deep Industries Limited, which has been operating the Mori-5 well for about a year, secured a Rs 1,402 crore contract in 2024 for production enhancement operations at ONGC’s Rajahmundry Asset.
