Assam govt orders probe into Baghjan gas leak and fire
Two days after an Oil India Ltd (OIL) well in Assam’s Tinsukia district caught fire following a blowout, the state government Thursday ordered a high-level probe into the ecological disaster.
The fire at Baghjan 5 well—close to the ecologically-sensitive Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and Maguri-Motapung wetland—occurred 14 days after natural gas started leaking from the well. It has led to the death of two firemen and displaced thousands.
The extent of the damage — both to humans and the environment — is currently being assessed by the authorities.
On June 11, a release from OIL said: “Extent of the fire has been contained to the well.” It also said that “no flash fire is reported from the nearby areas” and that fire tenders were on site.
