GUWAHATI: Two employees of Oil India Limited (OIL) who were engaged at the Baghjan oil well explosion site in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district have been found dead on Wednesday, official sources confirmed.
The two firefighters had reportedly gone missing after the well caught fire on Tuesday and their bodies were recovered by an NDRF team from a wetland near the site. The cause of death is yet to be ascertained.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal extended his condolences over the death of the two OIL employees, who were among four missing personnel working at the oil well, saying that “they both made supreme sacrifice for the greater interest of the society.”
The chief minister also requested Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan to provide employment to one member each of the families of the deceased apart from providing adequate compensation.
A massive explosion had taken place in a natural gas-producing well of the oil major on Tuesday afternoon, where a blowout – uncontrolled escape of gas – was reported two weeks back.
Meanwhile, three experts from a Singapore-based firm, engaged at the well explosion site, have indicated that they would need around four weeks to control the situation even as the blaze has been confined to a particular area.
“Both the Centre and Assam government have been carrying out joint efforts and we have been successful in evacuating people from the affected zone to a safer place and provided shelter in relief camps. This morning I got to learn that the area occupied by the fire has been confined to a radius of 50 metres. The experts’ view is very clear that they need another 25 to 28 days to control the situation,” Sonowal told the media.
Assuring that the government was with the people of Baghjan in this hour of crisis, the chief minister said both the Centre and state would take all possible steps for relief, rescue and rehabilitation of the affected families.
“I have also telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprised him about the latest developments regarding Baghjan oil well explosion incident today. The Prime Minister assured all help towards the people in the affected area,” the chief minister said.
Sonowal had on Tuesday talked over phone with the Union petroleum minister after receiving information about the explosion and also held a video conference in the evening with him, officers of the petroleum ministry and the foreign experts to gauge the actual ground situation.
“The Union minister has assured that adequate compensation would be provided to those affected in the incident apart from extending all help,” he said.