A fire caused by gas seeping from underground during the installation of a deep tube well in Inani, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, has burned for four days and intensified.
Teams of experts from Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) and the Fire Service have collected samples from the site. Citing the potential risks, the administration has imposed Section 144, prohibiting public entry within a 200-metre radius of the site.
After drilling nearly 1,000 feet underground in search of water, gas began emerging instead, and the gas caught fire. Despite burning continuously for four days, the fire has yet to be brought under control. Officials from Bapex and the Fire Service said it could take at least another seven days for the fire to extinguish naturally.
SM Nafizur Rahman Arham, head of the Bapex geological survey team, said preliminary assessments suggested that the gas was coming from a pocket accumulated in an underground layer. The fire could go out naturally once the gas reserve in that layer is exhausted, he said, adding that tests were underway to establish the cause.
Taufiqul Islam, director of the Fire Service’s Chattogram division, said experts had warned that forcibly extinguishing the fire could cause underground gas to spread to other layers. They had therefore advised against direct intervention at the source for the time being.
For safety reasons, the administration has prohibited public entry and movement within 200 metres of the site.
Meanwhile, crowds of curious people have been gathering near the site. Local residents said that if the presence of gas is confirmed, the authorities should arrange further research by experts and take steps to conserve the resource. They believe the discovery could open up new possibilities for addressing the country’s ongoing gas shortage.
Local residents said a man named Md Abdullah had been constructing a resort on his 20-decimal plot of land in Shikderpara, Inani. A deep tube well had been under construction there for the past 15 days to secure water for the resort. After drilling to a depth of nearly 1,000 feet, gas suddenly began gushing out of the well. The gas subsequently caught fire after coming into contact with a nearby electrical wire.
The fire broke out at around 7:00 am on Tuesday, October 27, and has continued burning since then. To prevent possible accidents, the administration moved people from the surrounding area to safer locations. Electricity supplies have also been suspended across an area of around 15 kilometres as a safety measure.
Local resident Harun said they were living in fear because of the fire. However, if the presence of underground gas is confirmed, the government should conduct the necessary tests and take steps to conserve it rather than allow the resource to go to waste, he said.
The incident has caused anxiety among local residents while also prompting discussion about the potential of an underground gas resource in Inani. The administration and residents are now awaiting the findings of expert investigations to establish the source, type and quantity of the gas.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
