GUWAHATI: One person died while six others were injured in a major fire at an Oil India Limited (OIL) facility in Assam on Friday.
The fire broke out around 9:05 am at the Indirect Bath Heater (IBH) during maintenance activities at the Intermediate Tank Farm at Tengakhat in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district.
OIL in a statement said the IBH area was isolated since November 4 for maintenance purposes. “Seven persons of the O&M (Operations and Maintenance) contractor sustained burn injuries in the fire incident. While six persons were rescued and taken for medical treatment, one person succumbed to the injuries at the incident site."
Of the six injured, five were admitted to the Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh, while one was taken to the OIL Hospital in Duliajan. OIL said all of them had been receiving treatment.
“Fire fighting started through fixed firefighting system of the installation, and OIL’s fire service department immediately mobilised fire tender and dry chemical powder tender to douse the fire,” the statement said, adding that the fire was extinguished at 12:30 pm and the situation remained under control. Altogether 11 fire tenders were pressed into service.
An internal inquiry committee was constituted to investigate the incident and identify its immediate and underlying causes, damage assessment and suggest proactive measures to avoid such incidents in the future.
OIL expressed condolence to the bereaved family.