At least 600 people were evacuated from the villages of Irusumanda, Lakkavaram, and Goodapalli, within a one-kilometre radius, after a natural gas blowout was reported on January 5. The incident happened at the Mori-5 well during repair work aimed at increasing gas production. Officials, including District Collector R. Mahesh Kumar, are on high alert and ready for further evacuations if needed. The well capping exercise is in progress, with ONGC safety experts from across India assisting. The repair, called a workover operation, was done by PEC Operator Deep Industries Limited. ONGC assures the blowout will be controlled by evening to prevent further damage.