Mori-5 ONGC Well Fire in Andhra Pradesh Under Control, Residents Return Home
Mori-5 ONGC Well Fire in Andhra Pradesh Under Control, Residents Return Home
Major gas blowout at ONGC's Mori-5 well in Konaseema mostly contained; hundreds evacuated are allowed to return as compensation for losses is planned.
An emergency blaze erupted at ONGC’s Mori-5 drilling site in Irusumanda village, Malikipuram mandal, Konaseema district, Andhra Pradesh, on January 5 during repair works. The fire, driven by a gas leak, sent flames high into the sky and forced the evacuation of residents within a four-km radius. By Tuesday evening, district officials said containment had improved to about 90%, with authorities preparing to complete capping the well over the next four to five days. The flames that had risen to as high as 100 feet on Monday were reduced to around 50 feet by Tuesday as engineers pressed to bring the well under control.
About 550 residents from Goodapalli, Irusumanda and Lakkavaram were moved to two relief centres as a precaution and can now return to their homes. The government said it would compensate losses to coconut trees and other crops damaged in the blaze. To quell the blaze, ONGC engineers and fire personnel deployed water from the Gudavalli irrigation canal, spraying in an umbrella-like pattern over the site. Officials noted that roughly 40,000 cubic metres of natural gas were present at Mori-5, underscoring the scale of the operation. Four fire tenders and other equipment were deployed to the site.
Geological officials indicated that Mori-5 is a pure natural gas reservoir with no oil deposit, and the initial estimates of the reservoir size and flow may have been underestimated. Authorities reaffirm that there is no ongoing threat to nearby communities as containment work continues.
