Skip to content Skip to navigation

Firefighters dead in huge inferno at gas well

TINSUKIA: Two fire fighters died as they were trying to douse a huge inferno at a gas well in Tinsukia district on Tuesday even as the fury continues to spread out of control sending statewide shock and anger.

The inferno took place on Tuesday when a team of experts brought from Singapore were trying to defuse smokes of gas bellowing from the gas well belonging to Oil India Limited at Baghjan. The technical snag took place on May 27 resulting in the gas blow out from the ill fated well forcing over 1700 families to be displaced in 3 km radius.

Local residents blame it all on the oil and gas giant for ill preparedness in extracting oil and natural gas. According to them, OIL officials were trying to bring the situation under control only deploying a dozen of fire tenders without seeking assistance from the outside experts. The experts of Singapore was brought only after 12 days and by then the situation has turned worse.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who called up PM Narendra Modi, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday only dispatched his industry minister Chandra Mohan Patowary to take stock of the situation while Congress has blamed the Centre for failing to act promptly.

Identified as Tikheswar Gohain and Durlov Gogoi who have gone missing were found dead on a nearby waterbody on Wednesday morning. Gogoi is considered a veteran footballer who lost his mother three months back.

The OIL officials are clueless of an end to the inferno since the experts have not been able to bring the situation under control. Thousands of hectares of paddy fields have been covered by the oil and gas layers who have been demanding adequate compensation. OIL is learnt to have suspended two senior engineers after a preliminary enquiries.  

 

Author info

AT News's picture

Assam Times Staff. editor@assamtimes.org

Add new comment

Random Stories

RCC Bridge inaugurated at Langting

15 Jun 2012 - 3:22pm | Anup Biswas
The Chief Executive Member of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council Sri Debojeet Thaosen appealed to the people for making Dima Hasao a developed district by initiating developments in all spheres with...

Mohammedan Sporting Club win Independence Cup

11 Oct 2007 - 4:50pm | editor
Mohammedan Sporting Club of Kolkata won the Independence Ccup football title beating last year's champion BSF, Jalandhar 3-2, via tie break, in the final held at Nagaon on Thursday. The...

Namami Barak in November

13 Sep 2017 - 5:48pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Hardly a year after Assam invited a hail of controversy over the Namami Brahmaputra festival, the government is now preparing to hold the Barak Cultural and Tourism festival in November.Chief...

Ganza seized, 4 arrested in Rangiya

16 May 2010 - 7:05pm | anjanjyotipatowary
Security personnels of Rangiya based 61 Engineering Regiment of Red Horns Army, during a routine security frisking here at Chepti under Rangiya PS recovered around 80 kilogrmas of contraband/ ganza...

Other Contents by Author

Panjim: Jambul Cafe in Panjim resonated with the vibrant melodies of Rongali Bihu as the Assamese community in Goa gathered for a joyous get-together on Sunday, May 12, 2024. The event, organized to celebrate the spirit of Assamese culture and traditions, witnessed enthusiastic participation from young people and families hailing from Assam who have made Goa their home. A highlight of the event was the presence of several talented Assamese artists based in Goa, who graced the occasion with their performances. Mridusmita Sakia, Kamal Rabha, Roshan, Champak, Mintu captivated the audience with their renditions, infusing the atmosphere with the festive fervor of Rongali Bihu. The...
New Delhi: India has emerged as the largest participant in the 9th annual City Nature Challenge (CNC), with 206 Indian cities among the 675 global participants. This collaborative citizen science event, running from April 26 to 29, is organized in India by WWF-India to encourage people to document and share images of wild plants, animals, and fungi using the iNaturalist app. WWF-India is spearheading this initiative across several states, including Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and New Delhi. Neha Raghav, Director of Environment Education at WWF-India, highlighted CNC's importance, saying, "CNC is a great opportunity to engage people of all ages in citizen...
Guwahati: The Assam Don Bosco University buzzed with creativity and entrepreneurial spirit over the past two days as the Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship (IDE) Bootcamp for Student Innovators and Teachers concluded. The event, held on April 9th and 10th, welcomed participants with an opening address by Pushpanjalee Konwar. Chief Guest Prof. Amarendra Kumar Das of IIT Guwahati ignited the minds of the young innovators with a talk on agricultural design and fostering innovative ideas. Mayur Madhukar Borkar then outlined the purpose of the bootcamp and its potential to equip participants with valuable skills. Dr. R. Sujatha kicked off the interactive sessions, dividing...
The Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati (IIITG) hosted the fourth edition of its annual Rongali Bihu festival, BOHAGI, on April 7th, 2024. Held at the institute's campus near Tech City, Bongora, the event aimed to promote Assamese culture among students, faculty, staff, and their families from across India. BOHAGI 2024 featured cultural competitions organized by the IIITG Cultural Board, attracting students from various Assamese colleges. This fostered cultural interaction within the academic community and resonated with the "Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat" initiative, promoting national unity. The celebration focused on enriching knowledge about Assamese folk culture,...
Udalguri: In a move seen as part of the Election Commission's efforts to ensure impartiality during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Udalguri Deputy Commissioner (DC) and District Election Officer (DEO) Dr. Sadnek Singh was transferred on Tuesday. An order signed by Jadav Saikia, Secretary to the Government of Assam's Personnel (A) Department, reassigned Dr. Singh as Additional Secretary to the Government of Assam's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department. Replacing Dr. Singh is IAS officer Javir Rahul Suresh, who previously served as Joint Secretary to the Government of Assam's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department and held the additional charge of Director of Animal Husbandry...
On the occasion of his birth centenary this year, Jyotiprasad Medhi Award in Mathematical Sciences is announced by his family. Professor Jyotiprasad Medhi was a world renowned scholar in Statistics who was born on 1st July 1924 in Ramdia, Assam. He received his D.Sc. (with Tres Honorable) from the University of Paris (Sorbonne) in 1956 and returned to Assam to teach at Gauhati University where he later became the Head of the Department in Statistics, Dean of Faculty of Science, and Acting Vice-Chancellor. His textbooks on Stochastic Processes and Queueing Theory are widely used for teaching in many academic institutions around the world. He passed away on 3rd February 2017 at the age of 92...
Panbaree Machans, Kaziranga: The inaugural Smily Academy XP drew to a successful close yesterday, marking the departure of participants from four continents to their respective countries. The five-day event, held amidst the breathtaking landscapes of Panbaree Machans, Kaziranga, focused on immersive learning experiences with indigenous communities to develop innovative solutions to local and global challenges, aiming to inspire a new generation of "eco-preneurs". Conceived as a special project of the Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum, founded by esteemed figures such as climate activist Rituraj Phukan and Padma Shree Jadav Payeng, the Forest Man of India, Smily Academy garnered...
In a groundbreaking move towards sustainable agriculture and the preservation of indigenous livestock, Saras Dairy, under the guidance of Joraram Kumawat, Minister of Animal Husbandry, proudly unveils its latest offering: pasteurized camel milk. This initiative, achieved through collaboration with Bahula Food Pvt Ltd and Urmul Seemant Samiti, signifies a pioneering step in the realm of public-private partnerships dedicated to supporting herders and safeguarding the invaluable camel population. Gratitude is extended to all stakeholders, including Mahant Pratap Puri, MLA Pokhran, and Dr. Bhawani Singh Rathore, Animal Husbandry Director, for their indispensable contributions. Recognition is...
Assam Times (.org) ("Assam Times", "we", "us", or "our") respects the privacy of our users ("you", "your"). This Privacy Policy describes the types of information we collect from and about you when you visit our website (the "Website") and how we use that information.   Information We Collect We collect two types of information on this Website: Personal Information: This is information that can be used to identify you as an individual, such as your name, email address, and any other information you choose to share in comments, forums, or other interactive features. We only collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us. Non-Personal Information: This...
In a landmark move, participants of the International Conclave on Water, Hill Lives, and Future, convened in Shillong on February 9th and 10th, 2024, have jointly adopted the "Shillong Declaration." This declaration underscores the critical interlinkages between water resources and hill ecosystems, emphasizing a holistic approach towards achieving sustainable development in these regions.   The vital role of water as a critical resource and the need for enhanced resilience around water in hilly terrains, as underscored by the declining water table and spring water levels, waning traditional water systems, retreating, and polluting rivers, changing rainfall patterns, increase...