Fire breaks out in RIL gas pipeline in T'gana; no one injured

A fire was reported today in the pipeline that ferries gas from Reliance Industries' KG-D6 fields in Telangana but was quickly put out. No one was injured.

The fire, started possibly due to a gas leak, was reported at 0337 hours this morning on the East-West pipeline of Reliance Gas Transportation Infrastructure Ltd (RGTIL) in Maddikunta near Sadasivapet, about 60-70 km from Hyderabad.

Pressure on the pipeline, which carries gas from offshore to Gujarat, was dropped and supplies stopped. The fire was put off by 0830 hours.

"There was no injury or loss of life," a spokesperson of RGTIL, the company owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, said.

A similar fire at state-owned GAIL India-operated pipeline in Andhra Pradesh in June last year had left at least 18 dead and about two dozen seriously injured.

RGTIL, which proactively shared information on the accident, said "the fire has been controlled by safely evacuating and cordoning off that section of pipeline". Its experts immediately reached the site of fire and are probing the reasons.

RGTIL operates the 1,375-km pipeline from Kakinada on the east coast to Bharuch in Gujarat, transporting KG-D6 gas of RIL to customers.

"After an internal investigation, normal gas flow to the downstream customers will be resumed," the spokesperson said. "Reduction or interruption of gas flow to downstream customers is expected to last for a period of about 24 to 48 hrs." All concerned authorities and affected customers have been informed.