Hyderabad: A sudden gas leak followed by a fire at an operational Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) oil well triggered widespread panic in a cluster of villages in Andhra Pradesh’s Konaseema district on Monday afternoon.
The gas leak, at an oil well located in Irusumanda village, under Razole mandal, took place while repair and maintenance work was underway using a workover rig after the well had temporarily halted production.
A powerful blowout released a big volume of gas mixed with crude oil, which shot high into the air.
According to officials, the leaked gas soon caught fire and huge flames covered the site, alarming villagers as well as authorities. Thick clouds of gas and smoke soon spread across Irusumanda and the surrounding areas like dense fog, officials said.
Videos and images shared on social media showed the smoke and fire which could be seen from far off.
Panic grips Irusumanda village in Malikipuram Mandal following a massive gas leak from an #ONGC well in Konaseema Dist. While repair works were underway using a workover rig after the production well was shut down, crude-mixed gas suddenly erupted at high pressure. Thick gas… pic.twitter.com/JMosv7VNuh
— Ashish (@KP_Aashish) January 5, 2026
Gas Leak Feared as ONGC Pipeline Affected After Loud Explosion in Andhra’s Konaseema District#AndhraPradesh #Konaseema #Explosion #Gasleak #ONGC #Pipeline pic.twitter.com/Nb04nmTqa7
— mishikasingh (@mishika_singh) January 5, 2026
As part of emergency measures to ensure public safety, residents of nearby villages were instructed via loudspeakers to avoid using electricity, switching on appliances, or lighting stoves to prevent further ignition.
Panchayat officials and the local administration asked villagers to evacuate immediately. Panic-stricken villagers rushed out of their homes with their cattle, to seek safer place.
Senior ONGC personnel and district officials rushed to the scene as attempts were made to control the leak and contain the fire. The area has been cordoned off and are closely monitoring developments, while emergency measures are being taken to ensure public safety.
