Amaravati, Jan 8 : Fire continued to rage for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) well in Andhra Pradesh's Dr B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.

ONGC teams continued their efforts to control the blowout at Mori-5 well at Irusumanda Village, Malkipuram Mandal.

As the fire intensity has reduced, the ONGC personnel have reached about 10 metres closer to the well to implement the blowout control plan.

Firefighters were continuing to sprinkle water over the well. It may take a few more days to douse the fire.

The ONGC said on Wednesday that it made significant progress in blowout control operations. The state-owned company continues to undertake focused blowout control at Well Mori-5, operated by PEC contractor Deep Industries.

Fire intensity, noise levels, and ambient heat in the vicinity of the well. In view of the steady progress achieved and the remote likelihood of escalation, the district administration has advised residents in the surrounding areas to resume their normal activities.

The Crisis Management Team of ONGC is progressing with operations in accordance with the approved blowout control plan

An approach road from the rear end of the wellsite has been completed to facilitate debris clearance, and the required logistics have been mobilised for systematic debris removal, it said.

A water blanket has been established at the well's site to support continued debris removal in the vicinity of the wellhead and to enable subsequent operations for capping the wellhead, as per the action plan.

The crude-mixed gas suddenly erupted on Monday afternoon while repair works were underway using a workover rig after the well had temporarily halted production.

A powerful blowout released a massive volume of gas mixed with crude oil, which shot high into the air. Thick clouds of gas and smoke spread across Irusumanda and the surrounding villages like dense fog, sending panic among people.

Authorities had shifted more than 500 people from the village to the relief camps. On the advice of the district administration, they have now returned to the village.

/IANS