A massive fire broke out at the Intermediate Tank Farm (ITF) of Oil India Limited in Tengakhat, eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh district on this morning and five persons sustained serious burn injuries while one worker is feared missing after a powerful explosion took place at oil installation.
Fire tenders rushed to the facility to control flames and prevent further damage. The explosion took place around 9 am and panic spread among workers and fear gripped the industrial installation about safety.
A deafening blast was heard at Oil India facility before fire broke out. The explosion was followed by a huge blaze at Intermediate Tank Farm where oil related work is done. Five people were injured in the incident seriously and they required immediate medical attention, sources said.
Another worker feared missing: another worker is also feared to have gone missing from the Oil India plant. No information about the circumstances of the missing person has been received so far from authorities.
Oil India confirms incident, officials rush to spot. Oil India spokesperson Prankush Malla Buzarbaruah confirmed the incident and said “officials rushed from Duliajan (the company’s field headquarters) to the spot but I am waiting for information from them”. Company would give details of explosion, fire and condition of injured persons once it gets information from site.
Fire tenders were rushed to Tengakhat installation immediately after blast. Emergency response teams were mobilised to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading elsewhere in the facility. The scale of fire and possibility of further hazards at the installation have made emergency response all the more important.
Employees and local residents were worried because of the severity of burn injuries reported. Finding the missing worker is also a priority as authorities will have to determine if he was in that area when the explosion occurred and where he is.
What caused the explosion at Oil India’s Tengakhat facility?
The cause of the explosion and fire is not yet known. According to initial reports, a blast was heard at about 9 am followed by a major fire in Intermediate Tank Farm. Officials have not confirmed whether it was equipment malfunction or technical failure or some other operational problem which caused the explosion.
Investigators will need to determine the sequence of events leading up to the incident. They will have to examine the condition of the affected installation and whether safety systems worked as intended.
The accident has once again reinforced the need for industrial safety in oil and gas installations. Facilities storing and handling petroleum require strict safety procedures, equipment inspections on a regular basis and emergency response systems to minimise accidents.
Dibrugarh Oil Facility Blast: What Happens Next?
The main priorities are to put out the fire, treat the five injured people and find the missing worker. We also want information on how much property has been damaged, who was injured and how the explosion happened.
Oil India officials will provide more details as the situation unfolds. The incident has focused attention on safety of workers at Assam installations of the company and the findings of investigation would help in establishing cause of explosion and preventing similar accidents.
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