Oil India Limited (OIL) on Tuesday suspended two senior officials engaged in the Oil and Gas Production Service (OGPS) and drilling department in connection with the Baghjan fire in Tinsukia.
The suspension order comes after the recovery of the bodies of two firefighters of OIL from the fire site in the Baghjan oilfield under OIL.
The officers have been identified as chief engineer (OGPS) Bidyut Pawan Das, and superintending engineer (drilling) Debojit Das.
Also read: Assam: Bodies of two fire fighters recovered from Baghjan site
“We have suspended two senior officials of OIL on Tuesday. A high-level inquiry has been initiated and waiting for the report. We cannot tell much about the incident right now. Only after the inquiry, we can comment on the issue,” a senior official of OIL told Northeast Now.
The official further added a show-cause notice has been served to the officials.
OIL’s chief managing director Sushil Chandra Mishra on Wednesday had a detailed discussion with Assam’s industries & commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patowary at Tinsukia in the presence of Tinsukia deputy commissioner Bhaskar Pegu and appraised the minister of the status of the blowout and actions initiated by OIL.
“Immediate compensation is being disbursed to the families of two OIL employees, who sacrificed their lives. Four persons (two from OIL, one from ONGC and one contractor) sustained minor injuries and have been provided immediate medical help,” the official said.
“Currently, fire tenders are spraying water to contain the fire from spreading in the surrounding areas. Arrangement for additional water for fire control is in progress,” an OIL press statement stated.
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan conducted another emergency video conferencing meeting on Wednesday with the OIL team at Duliajan and Baghjan.