A natural gas blowout at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) well in Andhra Pradesh’s Dr B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district persisted into its second day. ONGC’s crisis management teams and firefighters are working to contain the blowout on the outskirts of Irusumanda village in Malikipuram Mandal. Officials noted a decrease in the fire’s intensity and anticipate further improvements throughout the day.
The incident occurred when a mixture of crude oil and gas erupted suddenly on Monday afternoon during repair work on the well, known as Mori-5, which had temporarily stopped production. The powerful blowout released a significant amount of gas and crude oil into the air, creating thick clouds of gas and smoke that spread across Irusumanda and neighboring villages, causing panic among residents.
More than 500 individuals from the village have been relocated to relief camps as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, ONGC has reported no injuries or fatalities resulting from the blowout. The well is situated in a remote area with no human settlements within a radius of approximately 500–600 meters. ONGC teams have secured the area and are engaged in cooling operations while preparing for well-control and potential well-capping procedures.
In response to the situation, ONGC has initiated collaboration with international well-control experts for advanced operations, including casing-cutting, contingent on on-site evaluations. The company’s senior management and technical specialists are actively overseeing the situation, with additional equipment being mobilized from nearby locations like Narsapuram. Konaseema district Collector Mahesh Kumar and Superintendent of Police Rahul Meena are supervising the firefighting efforts, with Amalapuram MP Harish Mathur and local MLA Varaprasad present at the site to monitor the situation closely.
