Cox's Bazar:Instead of water, natural gas has started spewing from a 1,000-foot-deep borehole drilled in Inani, Ukhia Upazila. The incident has led to a fire breaking out around 6am today near a small bridge at Inani.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, three units from the Fire Service arrived at the scene and are currently working to bring the blaze under control. Belal Uddin, a supervisor for beach personnel under the district administration at Inani, reported that Md. Abdullah is constructing a resort on his 20-decimal plot of land at Sikdarpara, Inani. Drilling for a tube-well to supply water had been ongoing for 15 days but was halted three days ago after no water was found at a depth of approximately 1,000 feet.
Then, at around 6am, gas suddenly began to escape from the borehole at high pressure, igniting upon contact with nearby electrical wires. Following the incident, fire service units from Ukhia and Cox's Bazar sadar arrived around 8am to extinguish the fire.
Syed Md Morshed Hossain, Deputy Assistant Director of the Cox's Bazar Fire Service, confirmed the incident, stating that "our three units are working continuously to bring the fire under control. Additionally, an army fire team has been assisting since 230pm. The intensity of the fire is heightened by the escaping gas." To prevent accidents, electricity in the area has been temporarily suspended.
Local residents are in a state of panic as the fire persists despite efforts to smother it with sandbags, raising concerns it could spread further. Locals have called for the fire to be extinguished promptly and urged a geological survey to determine if a significant gas reserve exists at the site.