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Firefighters dead in huge inferno at gas well

By AT News |

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.  

 

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