Konaseema District: Massive Fire Erupts After Gas Leak From ONGC Rig
Firefighters and police personnel joined the operations to bring the situation under control.
Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema: Panic gripped Irusumanda village of Malkipuram mandal in Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema district on Monday afternoon after a massive fire broke out at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) well caused by a pipeline leakage. There were no reports of death or injury, according to preliminary information. The sudden blaze forced villagers to flee for safety as thick gas spread into the village like dense fog, and smoke engulfed the area.
According to preliminary information, when the workover rig operations were underway, a large volume of gas mixed with crude oil reportedly gushed out with force and ignited, causing the fire.The blaze, which went up to 100 feet high, destroyed hundreds of coconut trees in the vicinity. Locals informed the district officials, and the Mandal Tehsildar rushed to the site and inspected the affected area. ONGC officials reached the site to assess the situation and analyse the cause of the incident. The Konaseema district administration is also attending to the incident and coordinating firefighting and safety measures at the site.
Officials have evacuated villagers of the Irusumanda village and are informing the locals situated within a five-kilometre range to leave their homes as a precautionary measure.
According to a press release by ONGC, the well is located in a remote area with no human habitation within a radius of approximately 500–600 metres. The area has been cordoned off, cooling operations have commenced, and ONGC has mobilised the Crisis Management Teams (CMT and RCMT). Preparatory work is in progress to facilitate well control and, if required, capping of the well.
ONGC has also initiated coordination with international well-control specialists, including mobilisation arrangements to support advanced well-control and casing-cutting operations, subject to site assessment. ONGC’s senior management and technical experts are closely monitoring the situation, with additional equipment being mobilised from nearby locations, including Narsapuram.
Further details are awaited.