Assam: Heavy rains, floods hamper ops to control gas blowout, fire

Operations to control the gas blowout and fire at Oil India Ltd (OIL)’s Baghjan 5 well in Assam’s Tinsukia district have hit a roadblock, with torrential rains leading to floods and the collapse of a bridge near the site of the gas leak. “After heavy rainfall since the last 3 days, the area has been badly hit by flood and the site has been inundated with floodwater,” said a release from OIL on Thursday.

On May 27, the OIL-owned gas well experienced a blowout of natural gas, threatening thousands who lived in the vicinity as well as the rich biodiversity of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and the Maguri-Motapung wetland located close by. On June 9, the well caught fire, leading to the death of two firefighters.