Fire intensity reduces at Andhra gas well; expert teams to arrive from Delhi, Mumbai

Expert teams of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) are arriving from Mumbai and Delhi to douse a gas well blaze in Andhra Pradesh’s Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district, an official said on Tuesday.

The intensity of the fire has reduced compared to Monday, the official said.

A massive jet fire, measuring up to 20 metres in height and 25 metres in width, was ignited around 12:40 pm on January 5 near Mori and Irusumanda villages following a gas leak at an ONGC-owned well, Mori-5.

However, the gas well is not operated directly by the Maharatna company but by its Production Enhancement Contractor (PEC), Deep Industries Ltd, an Ahmedabad-based firm.

“They (firefighters) have created a water umbrella to make the temperature cool down, but the flames are still coming, so the expert teams will arrive and they will assess the situation, and accordingly they will take all measures to douse the flames,” Konaseema Joint Collector T Nisanthi told PTI.

She said expert teams are coming from Mumbai and Delhi. By sprinkling water, all the trees surrounding the fire jet are being cooled, Nisanthi said, adding that the intensity of the flames has reduced compared to Monday.

“We are hoping that the flames will be doused at the earliest,” she said, noting that all efforts are being made to extinguish the fire.

When asked about a timeline for completely dousing the blaze, she said, “They will assess the situation first, and only based on the assessment, they will be able to tell.”

Revenue, Police and Fire department officials, along with ONGC personnel, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Red Cross teams, are working to extinguish the flames, she said.

As many as 600 people from three villages surrounding the fire site were evacuated on Monday as a precautionary measure.

According to reports, Deep Industries Ltd secured a Rs 1,402-crore contract in 2024 for production enhancement operations at ONGC’s Rajahmundry Asset in Andhra Pradesh.

An ONGC official said the company has been operating the Mori-5 well for about a year.