2 Baghjan firefighters selected for President's gallantry award posthumously

President Ramnath Kovind has approved gallantry award posthumously to two firefighters of Oil India Limited (OIL), who lost their lives while battling the blaze at Baghjan gas well in Assam, the company said on Saturday.

The well no. 5 at Baghjan in Tinsukia district has been spewing gas uncontrollably for the last 81 days since May 27 and it caught fire on June 9, killing the two firefighters at the site.

"The President of India has approved President's Fire Service Medal for Gallantry posthumously to OIL deceased firefighters, late Tikheswar Gohain and late Durlov Gogoi, who laid their lives in the line of duty at Baghjan well no. 5 blowout," the PSU major said in a statement.

The recognition was given on the eve of the 74th Independence Day.

Meanwhile, despite two back to back failures, the OIL said that efforts are on to douse the fire by capping the damaged gas well.

On July 31, an endeavour to shut the well did not succeed as a hydraulic lift used to put a lid on the mouth of the gas well gave in and "toppled over".

The second attempt to shut it failed on August 10 when the iron cable to lift a Blow Out Preventer (BOP) snapped. A BOP is a metal cover weighing several tonnes that is placed at the mouth of any gas or oil well to stop leakage of the fuel from under the ground.

On July 22, three foreign experts from a Singaporean firm, which was invited to assist OIL and ONGC for putting out the inferno, suffered burn injuries while they were removing a spool from the well head.

OIL said that it continues to face protests and blockades across its wells and field locations, leading to heavy production loss in the last few months.

"A total of 28,199 metric tonnes of crude oil and 67.11 million metric standard cubic meter of natural gas have been lost as a result of protests, blockades, bandhs in and around Baghjan area since May 27, 2020 due to the blowout," it added.

On the relief and rehabilitation process, OIL said that surveys for assessment of damage for compensation by the district administration are in progress in Tinsukia and Doomdooma circles.

"A total of 2,756 families have been surveyed for assessment of damage for compensation till August 14, the PSU said.

Over 9,000 people were initially shifted to 13 relief camps after the well suffered a blowout in May and subsequently caught fire last month. 

Image credits: PTI