Assam Oil India Fire Death Toll Rises to Two
The death toll from a fire and explosion at an Oil India Limited facility in Assam’s Dibrugarh district has risen to two after another injured worker died on Saturday, November 7. The incident occurred during maintenance operations at the company’s Intermediate Tank Farm in Tengakhat on Friday morning, leaving several workers with serious burn injuries.
Second Worker Dies After Oil India Tengakhat Fire
The second victim, identified as 40-year-old Tapas Gogoi from Milan Nagar in Dibrugarh, succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital around 3 am on Saturday.
Another worker, Raju Dutta, had died following Friday’s explosion. Several other injured workers remain under medical supervision, with their condition reported as critical.
The workers were reportedly employed by Mumbai-based Spectron Engineers Private Limited, a contractor engaged by Oil India for maintenance activities.
Explosion Occurred During Maintenance Work
The fire broke out around 9:05 am on November 6 at an indirect bath heater within the Intermediate Tank Farm.
Oil India stated that the equipment had been isolated since November 4 for maintenance. Preliminary findings suggested that an accident during maintenance operations triggered the explosion and subsequent fire.
Emergency response teams, including company firefighters and the State Disaster Response Force, were deployed to control the blaze.
Authorities subsequently confirmed that the fire had been extinguished and the situation brought under control.
Oil India Orders Investigation Into Assam Fire
Oil India has constituted an internal inquiry committee to determine the immediate and underlying causes of the incident, assess damage and recommend preventive measures.
Dibrugarh district authorities have also announced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the explosion.
Officials have assured medical assistance to injured workers and advised nearby residents that evacuation is unnecessary.
