Assam Oil Well Massive Fire: 2 Bodies Recovered, Many Injured And Vehicles and Properties Badly Damaged
Report By: Nandika Chand | Last Updated June 10, 2020
The bodies of two firefighters from Oil India Limited (OIL) were recovered from a pond near a gas well in Assam’s Tinsukia district. Yesterday (Tuesday) evening, the Baghjan 5 well, near the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, caught fire. This occurred two-weeks after the first gas leakage was reported. The well was spouting gas and condensate droplets for 15 days before the fire.
An official statement said the well caught fire Tuesday evening when cleaning operations were on at the well sit. OIL official Tridiv Hazarika said many staff suffered injuries and vehicles were badly damaged. “Number of houses, vehicles, small gardens and some forest areas burnt to ashes. Getting an exact estimation of the damage has become difficult due to the impact of the fire and the high temperature,” he said. “The bodies were recovered from a wetland near the site. It looks like they jumped in the water and drowned as there is no mark of burn injury.”
Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal taking Twitter, said he had updated the PM on the fire tragedy. “Also briefed him about emergency measures taken,” he said. “The fire has been confined to an area of 50 metres. Experts believe that they need about 25 to 28 days to control the situation.”
Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force is also helping contain the fire. The Army is helping the NDRF and local authorities in rescue and relief work. The area has been cordoned off by the paramilitary forces.
