A massive fire has erupted at an oil well in northeastern India after it leaked gas for two weeks straight, forcing thousands to evacuate and causing serious environmental damage in the area.
The Baghjan oil field in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district suffered a blowout a fortnight ago and has been leaking gas uncontrollably ever since, causing serious damage to the region’s wetlands and endangering thousands of local residents. Despite efforts by Oil India Limited (OIL) –the company in charge of the operation– to plug the leak, the site erupted into a major inferno on Tuesday.
Branded “one of India’s biggest gas well blowouts” by a local reporter, the scale of the blaze is such that the dense column of dark smoke rising overhead could be seen from adjacent towns and has attracted a crowd of bystanders to film it.
Footage from the site of the disaster appears to show the Assam River itself on fire, after burning oil spilled into it. The waterway suffered a similar incident earlier this year when fiery oil poured into it from a spill in eastern Assam’s Duliajan district.
In a statement, OIL said that fire tenders are on site to control the spread of the blaze, but claimed that “violent protests” in the area close to the leak have hampered the relief efforts. According to the company, one fireman suffered minor burns, but no other injuries have been reported.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ordered the deployment of “fire and emergency services, army and police officials at the site to control the situation,” according to a tweet from his office. The Assam government has also called for the Indian Air Force to help douse the flames.
Around 6,000 people living in the area close to the oil fields have been evacuated and moved to temporary camps as the fire continued to spread. On Friday, OIL pledged compensation of 30,000 rupees ($400) to each of the affected families.
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