Workers started to shut down the Luojia No. 2 gas well hit by a gas leakage in Gaoqiao Town of Kaixian County, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, at 10:00 Monday morning.

Smoke and fire billow out March 26 as a leak was discovered at a gas well in Kaixian County near southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality one day before. The spewed gas cloud at the mouth of the well was ignited in order to prevent a further buildup and explosion. About 7,000 nearby residents have been evacuated to safe with no one injured and the situation is reportedly under control till Sunday. [Xinhua]

More than 10,000 residents living within one kilometer of the well were evacuated and workers have earlier ignited the escaping gas to avoid the possibility of a buildup and explosion.

The leak was discovered at the well belonging to the CNPC's Sichuan Provincial Petroleum Administration on Saturday morning. No casualty has been reported.

The gas well is in the vicinity of the Luojia No. 16H Gas Well, where a deadly gas blowout killed 243 people on December 23, 2003.