Massive fire breaks out at Baghjan oil well in Assam, over 1,000 evacuated

More than 1,000 people were evacuated on Tuesday after a massive fire engulfed the damaged Baghjan oil well that had been spewing gas uncontrollably for the past 14 days in Assam’s Tinsukia district, official sources said. The blaze at the Oil India’s oil well is so massive that it can be seen from a distance of more than two kms, eyewitnesses said. Three experts from Singaporean firm Alert Disaster Control were at the blowout site and some equipment was being removed when the fire broke out in the afternoon.
 

A company spokesperson said no casualty or injury has been reported so far. Firefighters have rushed to the spot and efforts are on to douse it, officials said. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, they said.
 

In a series of tweets, the Chief Minister’s Office said Sarabananda Sonowal spoke to Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the phone regarding the incident.
 

A major blowout happened at the oil well, next to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, following which gas started flowing out uncontrollably.