Specialist teams from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) are rushing to Andhra Pradesh's Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district to manage a significant gas well fire that has been raging since last week. Officials confirmed on Tuesday that teams from Mumbai and Delhi are arriving to assess and control the situation at the Mori-5 well.
Fire Details and Emergency Response
The blaze ignited on January 5 at approximately 12:40 pm following a reported gas leak. The incident occurred near the villages of Mori and Irusumanda. Initially, the flames were fierce, reaching heights of up to 20 metres and spreading about 25 metres wide, creating what officials described as a massive jet fire.
Konaseema joint collector T Nisanthi provided an update, stating that while the fire's intensity has diminished since Monday, it remains uncontained. Firefighters have been employing a continuous water sprinkling technique to cool the area. "They have created a water umbrella to bring down the temperature," Nisanthi explained. "But since flames are still emerging, the expert teams will assess the situation and take all necessary measures to douse them." She added that the water spraying has also helped protect nearby vegetation from the heat.
Operations and Evacuation Measures
Although the well is owned by the Maharatna PSU ONGC, its current operations are handled by a Production Enhancement Contractor, Deep Industries Ltd, based in Ahmedabad. The contractor has been operating the Mori-5 well for nearly a year. Reports indicate that Deep Industries secured a substantial contract worth Rs 1,402 crore in 2024 for production enhancement work at ONGC's Rajahmundry Asset.
As a critical safety precaution, authorities evacuated around 600 residents from three adjacent villages on Monday. A multi-agency response is underway, involving personnel from the Revenue, Police, and Fire departments, alongside ONGC, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Red Cross.
Assessment and Next Steps
Officials emphasized that all efforts are focused on bringing the blaze under control at the earliest. When questioned about a potential timeline for completely extinguishing the fire, Joint Collector Nisanthi noted that the expert teams must first evaluate the site. "They will assess the situation first, and only based on the assessment will they be able to tell," she stated.
The arrival of the specialized ONGC teams from major cities is seen as a crucial step in formulating a definitive strategy to tackle the persistent well fire and ensure the safety of the local environment and communities.
