BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Sunday asked fire department officials to examine an area in Baunsabania village under Nilagiri police limits in Balasore district, nearly 250 km from here, after villagers found smoke billowing out of the earth on Saturday evening.

Bikash Kumar Sahu, a resident of Baunsabania village, said some villagers noticed smoke and hot air billowing out of the earth on Nilagiri-Panchalingeswar road on the outskirts of the village on Saturday evening and informed about this to fellow villagers.

“Acting on their information, we went to the spot this morning. After digging out a portion of the earth, we found more smoke and hot air coming out from within the surface. We also found the inner soil very hot as we dug deeper. We suspect there might be some gaseous elements inside the ground,” he said.

Sahu said the villagers have informed the matter to the Sub-collector Ghariram Murmu, who rushed to the area for an on-the-spot investigation.

Asked about the incident, sub-collector Mr Murmu said he cannot say the exact reason. “I have asked the local fire officer, Nilagiri to go to the spot and find out the reason as to why the smoke and hot air are coming out of the ground and take adequate precaution for the safety of the people of the locality,” he said.