Gas leak at ONGC well in Andhra sparks inferno, four-km radius evacuated
Mori (Andhra Pradesh) (PTI): A gas leak at an ONGC well here in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district operated by its production contractor sparked an inferno on Monday, leading to the evacuation of two villages within a four-km radius.
However, no deaths or casualties have been reported so far, an official of the Maharatna public sector company said.
"The fire occurred due to a gas pipeline leakage at the Mori-5 well, which is operated by Deep Industries Ltd as part of production enhancement operations," an ONGC official told PTI.
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Residents of neighbouring Irusumanda and Lakkavaram villages were evacuated to safer locations.
The number of evacuees is not immediately available.
Around 10 fire tenders are currently at the site battling the fire.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inquired about the fire accident and directed officials to prioritise dousing the flames.
Following the gas leak, senior officials of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) from Rajahmundry rushed to Well Mori-5 located in Malkipuram mandal to assess the situation and ascertain the cause of the fire.
The Konaseema district administration is also responding to the incident and coordinating the firefighting and safety measures at the site.
The district collector, superintendent of police, deputy collector and ONGC officials are monitoring the situation at a secretariat located 100 metres away from the inferno.
Initially, a thick white cloud of gas blanketed the surrounding paddy fields and coconut groves.
The gas eventually ignited, creating a towering inferno that could be seen across the Godavari River delta.
Videos of local police and the workers in orange, red and blue running for their lives went viral as a couple of fire tenders were seen nearby, according to PTI Videos.
The fire has broken out amidst newly planted rabi season paddy crops and palm trees. Thick smoke continued to billow over the agricultural heartland.
In a release, ONGC said, "An incident of gas leakage during workover operations at Well Mori-5 was reported by the PEC operator, Deep Industries Limited, at the Mori field."
The well is located in a remote area, with no human habitation within a radius of approximately 600 metres.
The affected area has been cordoned off, cooling operations have commenced, and ONGC has mobilised its Crisis Management Teams (CMT and RCMT), the oil and gas major said.
Preparatory work is underway to facilitate well control and, if required, capping of the well.
ONGC has also initiated coordination with international well-control specialists, the release said.
Mobilisation arrangements have been activated 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, while additional equipment is being mobilised from nearby locations, including Rustumbada village near Narsapuram in West Godavari district.
Deep Industries Ltd, a Production Enhancement Contractor (PEC) of ONGC, had secured a Rs 1,402-crore contract in 2024 for production enhancement operations at ONGC's Rajahmundry Asset in Andhra Pradesh, according to reports.
The company has been operating the Mori-5 well for about a year, the official said.
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Sonam Wangchuk taken to AIIMS Jodhpur after complaining of stomach pain
Jodhpur (PTI): Activist and scientist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail since September 27, 2025, was taken to AIIMS Jodhpur for medical examination early Saturday morning, officials said.
He spent approximately an hour and a half in the hospital's gastroenterology department before being escorted back to prison.
According to AIIMS sources, Wangchuk has been having stomach-related issues and visited the hospital on Friday as well for tests.
The Supreme Court, which is currently hearing a petition filed by his wife, has requested Wangchuk's medical report by February 2.
Following the Supreme Court's orders, police transported Wangchuk from Jodhpur Central Jail to the emergency department of AIIMS Hospital on Saturday morning, a police official said.
Wangchuk has been voicing concerns about his declining health in jail for some time now. Recognising his worsening condition, the Supreme Court ordered the Jodhpur jail administration on Thursday to arrange for him to be examined by a specialist.
During the Thursday hearing, a bench comprising Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice P B Varale directed jail authorities to ensure that Wangchuk receives an examination by a specialist doctor (a gastroenterologist) at a government hospital.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General for the Rajasthan government, K M Nataraj, reported that jail doctors had examined Wangchuk 21 times over the past four months, with the most recent check-up occurring on January 26.
Objecting to this submission, Wangchuk's counsel Kapil Sibal claimed that he was suffering from persistent stomach pain due to the water quality in jail.
Accepting Sibal's argument, the court said that medical treatment with a specialist must be provided in accordance with the patient's needs.
