Gas Leak, Fire At ONGC Oil Well Triggers Mass Evacuation In Andhra Village

A major gas leak from an operational ONGC oil well caused widespread panic in a village in Andhra Pradesh's Konaseema district. 

The oil well is located in Irusumanda village of Konaseema's Razole area. The incident occurred while repair works were underway using a workover rig after the well had temporarily halted production. During the repairs, a powerful blowout released a massive volume of gas mixed with crude oil, which shot high into the air. 

Local officials said the leaked gas soon caught fire, with flames erupting at the site, alarming both villagers and authorities. Thick clouds of gas and smoke spread across Irusumanda and the surrounding areas like dense fog, officials said. 

#WATCH | A major gas leak from an operational ONGC oil well caused widespread panic in a village in Andhra Pradesh's Konaseema district.

The incident occurred while repair works were underway using a workover rig after the well had temporarily halted production. During the… pic.twitter.com/JVoJOictyQ

— NDTV (@ndtv) January 5, 2026

As a safety precaution, authorities issued announcements via loudspeakers instructing residents of three nearby villages to avoid using electricity, switching on appliances, or lighting stoves to prevent further ignition.

Panchayat officials and the local administration urged villagers to evacuate immediately. In response, many residents fled their homes and moved their cattle to safety as the situation remained tense.

ONGC personnel rushed to the scene to control the leak and contain the fire. Authorities have since cordoned off the area and are closely monitoring developments, while emergency measures are being taken to ensure public safety.

Senior district officials and ONGC officials are currently at the spot monitoring the situation.

ONGC has a strong presence in the Krishna Godavari delta basin in East Godavari district and the surrounding regions of Andhra Pradesh. 

ONGC operates through its Rajahmundry Onshore Asset and Eastern Offshore Asset in the state, producing natural gas, crude oil and associated hydrocarbons from multiple offshore rigs in the Bay of Bengal and onshore fields in East Godavari.

Hydrocarbons from offshore platforms are transported via a dedicated subsea and onshore pipeline network to ONGC's onshore processing facilities at Puducherry's Yanam district and Andhra Pradesh's Mallavaram, with field infrastructure also spread across areas such as Tatipaka. 

After processing, gas is supplied to national transmission networks, while crude is routed for further handling and refining to other locations.