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Death Toll Reaches Four After Assam Oil Facility Blast

Reported by Arjun Sethi (Fact-Checker) · The Hindu - National ·

Source: The Hindu
Worth knowing
Death Toll Reaches Four After Assam Oil Facility BlastPhoto: Openverse - wikimedia

The death toll from the explosion and fire at an Oil India Limited plant in Assam has climbed to four after another injured worker passed away on Sunday. Three other people remain in critical condition and are receiving medical treatment. All of the victims worked for Spectron Engineering Private Limited, a Mumbai-based firm hired by Oil India Limited. The accident happened on Friday during maintenance work at the intermediate tank farm located in Tengakhat within the Dibrugarh district.

Inquiry and Action

Oil India Limited has launched a high-level investigation to find out why the accident occurred. As part of this process, the public sector undertaking has suspended four of its own workers who were supervising the site, including three officers, until the probe finishes. The company also announced financial aid of ten lakh rupees for the families of each person who died and five lakh rupees for every injured worker. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who represents Dibrugarh in the Lok Sabha, spoke with the company's chairman and managing director Ranjit Rath to review the situation. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed his principal secretary to stay in contact with the company leadership to guarantee top-tier medical help for the wounded and proper financial support for the victims' families.

Context

Intermediate tank farms serve as temporary storage depots for petroleum products before those fuels move forward for processing or transport. Industrial facilities of this nature handle highly flammable materials during routine operations like equipment maintenance, making strict safety protocols essential.

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