A massive fire broke out in the natural-gas liquids company Oil India Limited, in Baghjan area of Assam’s Tinsukia district this afternoon, after the gas leaked for the last 14 days.
Sources told NDTV that the fire may spread to adjoining areas as well.
The state government has requested the Air Force and the Army to help douse the fire. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also spoke to Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after the fire started.
This came after the company had warned about the ‘uncontrolled’ emission of natural gas in the oil well for the last two weeks, which is about 500 kilometres from Guwahati, and has been leaking ever since, causing grave damage to the region’s wetlands.
In a press release issued by the company earlier that week, it read that they had been adopting measures to avert a blaze, as well as called the team of experts from Singapore to help control the situation.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed in the area since the time of the leak.
According to the report, ‘Well killing’ experts from Singapore, who arrived on Monday, joined operations this morning.
The incident occurred at Well no. 5 of the plant. At present, no casualties have been reported.
Several videos show dark clouds of smoke rising from the plant and engulfing the premises.
#WATCH Massive fire at the gas well of Oil India Ltd at Baghjan in Tinsukia district, Assam. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is present at the spot pic.twitter.com/Tw2G92aPXy
— ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2020
Over 3,000 people living in a 1.5-km radius of the natural gas producing well have been evacuated and placed in relief camps, since the time of the leak. Oil India Limited has also announced financial relief of Rs 30,000 to each of the affected families.
