One killed, six critical in fire after explosion at Oil India facility in Assam

One person died and six others were critically injured in a fire at Oil India Ltd’s facility in Assam’s Dibrugarh district on Friday, 6 November.

The fire broke out around 9.05 a.m. during maintenance work at the intermediate tank farm (ITF) in Tengakhat due to an explosion, Oil India said in a statement.

An ITF is a facility where petroleum products are temporarily stored before being moved for further processing or transportation.

Preliminary reports suggest the accident happened during maintenance operations, triggering the explosion and fire. Nine workers were on site, seven of whom suffered injuries. One worker later succumbed to his injuries.

The deceased was identified as Raju Dutta. All injured workers were employed by Mumbai-based Spectron Engineers Pvt Ltd, contracted by Oil India. The six injured are receiving treatment at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh.

Oil India said its fire personnel responded swiftly, bringing the fire under control.

Dibrugarh District Commissioner Bikram Kairi and Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Abhijit Dilip visited the site. Kairi said teams from the State Disaster Response Force and firefighting units quickly contained the situation.

“There is no active fire, and the situation is fully under control,” he stated.

The district administration will investigate the incident’s cause and coordinate with Oil India to ensure safety measures. Medical support and transport will be provided if required.

Kairi urged nearby residents not to panic, confirming no evacuation is needed.

AMCH superintendent Dhrubajyoti Bhuyan said the injured have burns ranging from 35 to 90 percent and remain critical. “Their health is being closely monitored,” he added.

(With agency inputs)