30 hours and counting: Gas fire rages in Cox's Bazar as power cuts hit 15km area

A fire fuelled by gas escaping from underground during deep tube well drilling in Inani, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, continued to burn for nearly 30 hours on Wednesday, while electricity supply remained suspended across a 15-kilometre area over fears that the flames could reach power lines.

A team of experts from Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) began collecting gas samples at the site on Wednesday morning to determine the gas’s composition and investigate the cause of the persistent fire.

The Ukhiya administration has also decided to cordon off an area within a 200-metre radius of the site to protect residents.

The gas began escaping at around 7:30am on Tuesday while workers were digging to install a deep tube well at the homestead of Mohammad Abdullah, near the Inani Chhota Khal Bridge in Jaliapalong union of Ukhiya. Flames erupted shortly after foul-smelling gas emerged from the ground.

SM Nafifun Arham, Bapex’s geology manager and head of its geological survey team, visited the site on Tuesday night to assess the situation.

Based on preliminary observations, he said drilling may have reached a depth of around 1,000 feet, close to an underground gas-bearing layer. The gas may have travelled to the surface through underground fractures or geological faults, he added.

Arham said high-pressure gas could move through underground fractures and emerge at the surface days after the upper part of a gas-bearing layer was exposed. Investigators initially suspected that a spark from an unidentified source had ignited the gas. Human activity or an electrical spark could also have triggered the fire.

The colour of the flames and smoke suggested that the gas might contain relatively heavier hydrocarbons, he said. However, its exact composition cannot be confirmed until laboratory tests are completed. It is also too early to determine the size of any underground gas reserve.

Warning against attempts to stop the gas flow, Arham said blocking the escape route or containing the pressure could force the gas through other weak points underground, potentially increasing the risk.

He said authorities were prioritising safety and keeping people away from the hazardous area.

Saidul Islam, an official at the Ukhiya Fire Service and Civil Defence Station, said four fire service units rushed to the site after receiving the report and began efforts to extinguish the flames.

However, the fire could not be brought under control as the gas continued to escape. Relevant agencies, including Bapex and Petrobangla, were informed, he added.

Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Panna Akter said authorities were urging residents to maintain a safe distance from the site. Necessary measures were being taken based on the Bapex team's preliminary assessment.

She said the administration would seek assistance from the army and other agencies if necessary.

Meanwhile, the Ukhiya Palli Bidyut Samity said electricity supply at 33,000 volts had been suspended across an approximately 15-kilometre stretch from Monkhali to Patuartek amid fears that the flames could spread to electrical wires.