2 firefighters die in gas well blaze in Assam

Two firefighters of public sector major Oil India Ltd were found dead in a wetland abutting the site of a major blaze at its Baghjan well, which has been "uncontrollably" spewing gas for the last 15 days in Assam's Tinsukia district, officials said on Wednesday.

Tension has gripped the area after the fire, which erupted on Tuesday, damaged a stretch of the adjoining forest, houses and vehicles, provoking an attack by the locals on OIL employees.

The two firefighters had gone missing after the well caught fire and their bodies were recovered by a National Disaster Response Force team on Wednesday morning, said Oil India Ltd spokesperson Tridiv Hazarika.

"Their bodies were recovered from a wetland near the site. Prima facie it looks like that they jumped into the water and got drowned as there is no mark of burn injury. The exact cause will be ascertained only after a post mortem," he said.

The duo has been identified as Durlov Gogoi and Tikheswar Gohain, both assistant operators of the fire service department of the company, the official said.

Gogoi was a well-known football player who had represented Assam at several national tournaments in Under-19 and Under-21 categories. He was the goalkeeper of the Oil India football team.

A firefighter of the state-owned ONGC suffered minor injuries during the efforts to control the blaze, which the OIL said could take as long as four weeks to put out.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal of all possible assistance to the victims and to resolve the situation.

SEE: Fire continues to rage on

Sonowal called up the prime minister and apprised him of the situation arising from the gas blowout and the subsequent fire, a CMO official said.

"Gave details of Baghjan fire tragedy to PM Shri @narendramodi ji over phone. Also briefed him about emergency measures taken by @PetroleumMin, @OilIndiaLimited & state machinery. He assured of all possible help to resolve the situation & provide relief to victims," Sonowal tweeted.

Sonowal condoled the deaths and said he had requested the Union petroleum ministry to compensate the victims.

"I request the Union petroleum ministry to compensate their families adequately as they sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. I also request the ministry to give employment to a member of each of the two families," he told reporters.

Sonowal said four OIL employees present at the site had jumped into water but two survived.

"We will ensure safety and security of all the people living in nearby villages. We will also adequately compensate them for their losses," Sonowal said in Guwahati.

Chandra Mohan Patowary, the state's minister of industries, has already reached Tinsukia to assess the situation and hold discussions with the stakeholders.

The well, located adjacent to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, has been spouting gas and condensate droplets for the last 15 days, affecting forested areas and human habitations in a radius of one km.

"A number of houses, vehicles, small gardens and some forest areas have got burnt. We are trying to get an exact estimation of the damage but it has become difficult due to the raging fire and high temperature. The district administration is working on this," an OIL official said.

Apart from fire tenders of the OIL, army, air force, IOC and Assam Gas Company are trying to prevent the fire from expanding further.

Three experts from Singaporean firm Alert Disaster Control are present at the site since Monday, supervising efforts to extinguish the blaze.

Soon after the blaze erupted, OIL employees in and around Baghjan were attacked by locals, a spokesman for the company said.

"Many of our staff suffered injuries in the attack. Our vehicles were badly damaged. We could evacuate our staff and those of the ONGC working at the site with great effort with the help of security personnel," the official said.

Following the well blowout on May 27, OIL said over 1,610 families were moved out of the area and provided shelter at four relief camps, where following the guidelines to check the spread of the coronavirus, including maintaining social distancing, are proving to be a major challenge.

Thick plumes of black smoke shooting into the sky can be seen in areas 30 km away from the blazing well, posing a serious threat to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, known for its biodiversity.