- Gas well blaze at Mori-5 prompts ONGC expert response
- Gas well blaze intensity reduced, evacuation continues
A major gas well blaze in Andhra Pradesh’s Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district has prompted the arrival of expert teams from Delhi and Mumbai. Officials said the teams are being sent to douse the fire at the Mori-5 gas well, where a massive jet fire broke out following a gas leak. The incident occurred near Mori and Irusumanda villages and has triggered large scale emergency measures.
According to officials, the intensity of the gas well blaze has reduced compared to Monday. However, flames are still visible at the site. The fire was ignited around 12.40 pm on January 5 after a gas leak at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation owned well. The jet fire rose up to 20 metres in height and spread nearly 25 metres in width, creating serious safety concerns in nearby villages.
Meanwhile, authorities clarified that the gas well is not directly operated by ONGC. Instead, its Production Enhancement Contractor Deep Industries Ltd is managing operations. The Ahmedabad based company has been operating the Mori-5 well for about a year. Reports also stated that Deep Industries Ltd secured a Rs 1,402 crore contract in 2024 for production enhancement operations at ONGC’s Rajahmundry Asset in Andhra Pradesh.
Konaseema joint collector T Nisanthi explained the current firefighting efforts. “They 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,” she said. She also confirmed that the expert teams are coming from Mumbai and Delhi. By sprinkling water, officials are cooling all the trees surrounding the fire jet. She noted that the intensity of the flames has reduced compared to Monday.
Later, when asked about a timeline, she said, “They will assess the situation first, and only based on the assessment, they will be able to tell.” She added that all efforts are being made to douse the fire at the earliest. “We are hoping that the flames will be doused at the earliest,” she said.
Revenue, police and fire department officials, along with ONGC teams, State Disaster Response Force personnel and Red Cross workers, continue to work at the site. As a safety measure, officials evacuated around 600 people from three nearby villages on Monday. Authorities remain on high alert as efforts continue to fully extinguish the gas well blaze.
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