Cuttack, Jan 19: Panic gripped the CDA Sector-10 area in Cuttack on Monday after a major gas leak occurred from an underground pipeline near the vegetable market along the main road, a source said.

According to the source, the incident took place during road construction work near a petrol pump, when a JCB excavator accidentally ruptured a gas pipeline buried about 1.5 metres underground. The damaged pipeline led to a high-pressure gas leak, with gas reportedly shooting nearly 50 feet into the air, alarming local residents, shopkeepers and passersby.

Eyewitnesses said people in the vicinity ran to safety after noticing the gas escaping at high speed. Following information from local residents, local police, the fire services and a GAIL India emergency response team rushed to the spot.

Officials said the gas supply was immediately shut down from the control room to prevent any mishap. The entire area was cordoned off and barricaded by police, and traffic movement was restricted as a precautionary measure.

GAIL India officials carried out repair work at the damaged section of the pipeline. The repair operation continued for nearly two hours, after which the leak was fully controlled and normal gas supply was restored. Authorities confirmed that no injuries or loss of life were reported in the incident.

Local residents questioned how excavation work was permitted in a restricted zone, especially in an area where gas pipeline markers were present. They raised concerns over public safety and demanded stricter monitoring during infrastructure work.

Officials from the company responsible for the gas pipeline repair said an inquiry would be conducted to determine how excavation machinery was deployed near a marked gas line and to fix responsibility for the incident.

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The entire CDA area is currently connected through an underground piped gas network, and residents urged authorities to prioritise safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.