Oil India Limited In Assam Suspends 4 Officials After 3 Killed In Fire

Oil India Limited (OIL) has suspended four personnel, including three officers and one employee, for alleged "dereliction in discharging official duties" following the explosion and fire at the company's Intermediate Tank Farm (ITF) in Tengakhat in eastern Assam's Dibrugarh district.

The action comes as the death count in the incident rose to three on Saturday with another critically injured worker dying due to burn injuries.

According to OIL spokesperson Prankush Malla Buzarbaruah, four people have been suspended in connection with the incident.

The death count in Friday's massive explosion and fire at OIL's ITF at Tengakhat increased after Rupam Gohain of Tengakhat died while undergoing treatment at Nemcare Hospital in Guwahati.

Gohain was initially admitted to Oil India Hospital in Duliajan immediately after the incident on November 6. Considering the severity of his injuries, OIL authorities later shifted him to Guwahati for advanced treatment. However, despite medical efforts, he died because of his injuries at Nemcare Hospital.

Earlier, two people had lost their lives in the incident. One of them was engineer Tapas Jyoti Gogoi, employed by Spectron Engineering Pvt. Ltd., who died of burn injuries at a private hospital in Dibrugarh. Another victim had also died following the explosion and fire.

In the aftermath of the incident, Oil India Limited announced financial compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of those who died and Rs 5 lakh each for those injured.

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday visited the injured undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Dibrugarh and enquired about their condition.

Earlier, Sonowal spoke with the Chairman and Managing Director of Oil India Limited over the telephone to take stock of the explosion and fire at the Tengakhat facility.

During the conversation, the Union Minister urged the company to ensure the best possible medical treatment for all those injured and to take all necessary measures without delay. He also sought appropriate compensation for the families of those who lost their lives in the incident.

Sonowal further called for a high-level inquiry by the concerned authorities to establish the exact cause of the explosion and fire.