Death toll rises to three in Assam OIL facility explosion
Two more people died from burn injuries on Saturday following a Friday explosion at a petroleum storage facility in Dibrugarh.
The death toll from an explosion at the Oil India Limited (OIL) facility in Tengakhat, Dibrugarh district, has risen to three, according to the Hindustan Times. Two more people succumbed to burn injuries on Saturday, following the death of one worker on Friday.
The explosion and subsequent fire occurred on Friday during maintenance work at the OIL Intermediate Tank Farm. The facility is used for the temporary storage of petroleum products before they are transferred for processing or transportation.
The deceased have been identified as Raju Dutta, who died on Friday, engineer Tapas Jyoti Gogoi, and worker Rupam Gohain. Gogoi, a resident of Milan Nagar in Dibrugarh, died at a private hospital on Saturday after sustaining approximately 70 per cent burns. Gohain, a worker for contractor Spectron Engineering Private Limited, died at a Guwahati health facility.
Of the nine workers present at the site during the accident, seven sustained injuries. Three of the injured workers remain in critical condition, according to officials.
Oil India Limited announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased person and ₹5 lakh for each injured person. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has called for a high-level inquiry to establish the cause of the fire and urged the company to ensure the best medical treatment for the injured.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are monitoring the situation.