text: When these villagers in China spent £1,000 and hours of hard labour digging a new well, the least they expected was some fresh drinking water. But they were left disappointed after pumping the liquid to the surface, only to discover it was so polluted that they could set it on fire. Residents of Ansai, in Shaanxi Province, central China, said they could smell gas and petrol coming from the well, and blame a leak from a local petrol station, The People's Daily Online reports. Villagers in Ansai, Shaanxi Province, in central China, dug a 46m well in order to get fresh drinking water, but when the pumped it to the surface the found it was so polluted it could be set on fire . Local officials say they have now launched an investigation into how the water from the well, which cost £1,000 to build, became so polluted . Locals said they could smell  petrol when the water surfaced, and blame the pollution on a leak from a local gas petrol station, a claim which the owner denies . However, when Chinese officials investigated, they said they could find no trace of a spillage, leading some people to theorise that the villagers could have struck oil. However this is highly unlikely, as oil deposits only occur between 750 and 4,500m underground, and the well is only 46m deep. Tuo Zhijun, a villager in Ansai, said: 'Who knew when we turned on the pump, once the water was seeping through, everyone could smell gas and see oil slick.' Some locals have suggested that the lucky villager may have struck oil, but this is highly unlikely, as oil deposits typically occur between 750 and 4,5000m underground, and the well is only 46m deep . After drawing the first fresh water out of their new well, the villagers discovered they were able to set it on fire because it was so polluted . Local officials do not yet know exactly what substance is in the water, though they say they are conducting a specific investigation to discover the cause . ‘We suspect that there was an oil leak from a petrol station not far from here.’ However, Li Jianhua, the manager of the petrol station, refuted these claims, saying: ‘The authorities have already examined the place and nothing was wrong. 'There has not been any problems with the well in the petrol station either.' Local government officials in Ansai say they have already started a specific investigation. Intrigued locals take pictures of the flaming water near the site of the new well in Ansai, central China .
target: Villagers in Ansai, central China, spent £1,000 digging new 46m well .
  But when they pumped water to surface they said they could smell petrol .
  Discovered that the water is so badly polluted that  it can be set on fire .
  Blamed leak at local petrol station, but owner has denied he is to blame .