More than 40 hours after a fire broke out in gas escaping from a deep tube-well drilling site in Inani, Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar, the blaze remained unextinguished, with its intensity reportedly increasing. To prevent a potential disaster, electricity supply has been suspended across an approximately 15-kilometre area from Inani through Mankhali to Patuartek, leaving around 3,800 families without power.
The fire reportedly started at around 7:20 am on Tuesday, October 27. As of Wednesday, October 28, authorities had been unable to bring it under control. The Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) is investigating the source and composition of the gas. Meanwhile, the local administration has moved to restrict public gatherings within 200 metres of the site for safety reasons.
BAPEX experts initially suspect that high-pressure underground gas is reaching the surface through cracks or weak geological layers. The gas may contain heavier hydrocarbons, but its exact composition can only be confirmed after laboratory analysis of collected samples.
Experts have warned that forcibly stopping the gas flow could cause it to escape through other locations, potentially creating additional hazards. Their preliminary assessment suggests that the fire could continue burning for another seven days, although its duration remains uncertain.
How the Fire Started
The incident occurred in Chhota Inani, near a small bridge in Jaliapalong Union of Ukhiya, at the courtyard of a house owned by Mohammad Abdullah, where workers had been drilling for a deep tube well.
Abdullah said drilling began approximately 15 days earlier. After working for a week without finding water, the workers stopped the operation and left. Gas subsequently began escaping from the drilled hole. According to Abdullah, the fire started when the escaping gas came into contact with a nearby electrical wire.
Four units of the Fire Service rushed to the scene and attempted to extinguish the flames using water and sand. However, their efforts were unsuccessful because gas continued to escape from underground.
Saidul Islam, station officer of Ukhiya Fire Service Station, said the situation would have been easier to manage if the gas had come from a pipeline, as its flow could have been stopped by closing a valve. In this case, however, the gas was emerging from underground under high pressure, making conventional firefighting methods ineffective.
BAPEX Collects Gas Samples for Laboratory Testing
BAPEX experts visited the site on Tuesday and Wednesday to investigate the source of the fire and identify the nature of the gas. Samples have been collected, and preparations are underway to analyse them in a laboratory.
S. M. Nafikun Arham, BAPEX manager and head of its geological survey team, said the appearance of the flames and smoke initially suggested the possible presence of heavier hydrocarbons in the gas. However, he stressed that laboratory analysis would be necessary to determine its actual composition.
He explained that drilling near a gas-bearing geological layer could allow high-pressure gas to rise to the surface through cracks or weak formations. The gas may then ignite when exposed to a spark.
Arham warned that attempting to forcibly stop the flow could cause the gas to emerge through other fractures, creating further risks. He said it was impossible to predict precisely how long the fire would burn without first analysing the gas pressure and the rate of its release.
He also cautioned that covering the opening with soil or sand might not solve the problem, as the gas could find another route to the surface.
Jebun Nahar, deputy general manager of BAPEX's exploration division, said the team had been working at the site since Tuesday. The samples would be transported to Dhaka for laboratory analysis, which the company hoped to complete within one or two days.
She noted that small pockets of biogenic gas are commonly found in shallow underground layers. BAPEX generally extracts gas from depths of approximately 2,500 to 3,500 metres, whereas gas at the Inani site is emerging from a depth of around 800 feet. Although geological surveys have been conducted in the area, deep exploration has not been carried out there.
Authorities Seek to Clear a 200-Metre Safety Zone
Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Panna Akter said protecting residents and preventing further accidents were the administration's top priorities.
As the fire continued burning beneath a 33-kilovolt electricity line, authorities suspended power supply as a precaution. Residents and members of the public have also been instructed to avoid gathering within 200 metres of the site.
Akter said BAPEX experts had been called in to determine whether natural gas reserves existed in the area. She emphasised that no definitive conclusion could be reached without scientific testing.
She added that clearing the 200-metre zone had become necessary based on the experts' advice, and the matter had been communicated to the district administration.
Several Fire Service units, members of the Bangladesh Army, police and representatives of the upazila administration are working at the site. As the fire intensified, residents of nearby homes were moved to safer locations.
Alternative Power Line Under Construction
Kaizar Noor, deputy general manager of the Ukhiya zonal office of Cox's Bazar Palli Bidyut Samity, said the fire had created a problem involving the main 33-kilovolt electricity line.
For safety reasons, electricity supply has been suspended across approximately 15 kilometres between Mankhali and Patuartek, affecting thousands of customers.
He said work was underway to construct approximately 300 metres of alternative power line following advice from BAPEX. The work began on Wednesday morning, and officials hoped to complete it quickly so that electricity supply could be restored.
Once the alternative line becomes operational, around 4,000 electricity customers are expected to regain power.
The situation remains under close observation as experts continue investigating the gas source and authorities work to minimise risks to nearby residents.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Sayeed Mohammed Anwar, Cox's Bazar, District Correspondent • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
