(ET)
A damaged Oil India Ltd well in Assam’s Tinsukia district that had been uncontrollably spewing gas for the past 14 days turned into a raging inferno on Tuesday. A PTI report said the fire could be seen from a distance of 30km and the billowing smoke was posing a danger to local biodiversities already ravaged following the May 27 blowout. The damaged well is located next to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.
The spreading fire, the roaring sound of the gushing well and large explosions caused panic among locals. Nearly 1,600 families were evacuated but no casualties were reported. Huge swathes of vegetation as well as several houses were gutted.
The fire broke out around 1.30pm while a team of specialists from Alert Disaster Control, which had been flown in from Singapore, was trying to stop the gas leak. An OIL spokesperson said, “A firefighter from ONGC sustained minor in juries. All officials of OIL and ONGC are being evacuated from nearby areas.
