YSRCP seeks probe into ONGC Mori well blowout exposing government negligence

Hyderabad: The Opposition YSRCP demanded a thorough and independent investigation into the massive blowout at ONGC Mori Well-5 at Irusumanda in Malikipuram mandal of Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema district stating that the incident exposes serious government negligence and suspicious contracting practices.

YSRCP state spokesperson and former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said the blowout, which triggered flames over 150 feet high, destroyed crops across thousands of acres and caused losses running into hundreds of crores, but was now being falsely projected as a routine accident.

Five days after a blowout at Well Mori-5 in Andhra Pradesh's Konaseema region, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) established well control and completed the capping operation on last Saturday.

The incident erupted on January 5 during service operations by PEC contractor M/s Deep Industries Limited.

The gas leak triggered a massive fire, sparking panic as ONGC staff fled the drilling rig. Nearby paddy crops ignited from the spreading flames. Authorities fully evacuated Irusumandalam village in Malkipuram mandal, while agricultural laborers in adjacent fields ran for their lives.

Bhumana Karunakar Reddy on Tuesday said that the contract for heavy drilling operations was awarded to Deep Industries, a firm with no proven experience in such large-scale drilling, and asserted that this lack of expertise directly led to the blowout.

He said the company’s representatives fled the site immediately after the incident instead of initiating emergency containment measures, while some officials were seen behaving casually instead of treating the disaster with seriousness, giving rise to grave doubts about the entire episode.

He demanded a deep probe into how such a company secured the ONGC contract, who facilitated it, and what financial dealings took place between government functionaries and company representatives.

He stated that even this disaster was being converted into a source of income by those in power, calling it extremely shameful, and insisted that only a comprehensive investigation could reveal the truth behind the blowout and fix accountability.