A massive fire broke out at the Mori-5 natural gas well owned by ONGC near Irusumanda village, Andhra Pradesh, on Monday. Flames rose up to 25 metres after a gas leak during work to increase gas flow. By Tuesday evening, officials said they have contained about 90% of the fire. Vikram Saxena, ONGC's Director of Technology & Field Services, said, "The flames have been partially doused and experts are engaged in capping the well." ONGC has a pact with U.S.-based Wild Well group for such emergencies. Saxena added, "We will take a decision whether to deploy Wild Well experts or not on Wednesday based on the condition of the well. However, the Wild Well experts are ready for their arrival." The team expects to finish capping the well within a week but said the gas flow could change. ONGC's Executive Director Santanu Das noted the loss of gas is not yet known. District Collector R. Mahesh Kumar said ONGC experts aim to contain the gas flow and flames in stages within four days to protect the environment. The blast damaged 75 coconut trees and crops across three acres. Residents who were evacuated are allowed to return by Wednesday as the flames are now fully under control. ONGC staffs continue working to kill the well safely and assess further damage.