Dibrugarh: The death toll in the Nov 6 explosion at an Oil India facility in Dibrugarh has risen to five.Kumud Gogoi (38) died on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Dibrugarh. He suffered critical burn injuries in the explosion at Oil India Limited’s (OIL) Intermediate Tank Farm (ITF) at Tengakhat.The deceased are Raju Dutta (45), Tapas Gogoi (40), Rupam Gohain (47), Sailen Gogoi (45) and Kumud. Dutta died at the site, while the other four succumbed to their injuries during treatment at different hospitals.The United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (Ulfa-I) has condemned the incident and held OIL and its maintenance contractor, Spectron Engineers Private Limited, responsible for the tragedy.In a press statement issued on Tuesday and signed by self-styled major Nirnoy Asom, assistant secretary of Ulfa-I’s publicity department, the outfit alleged that recurring safety lapses and irresponsible operational practices contributed to repeated accidents in oilfields and pipeline installations, resulting in deaths and damage to agricultural land, livestock and the environment.Ulfa-I demanded a one-time ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore to the family of each deceased worker, employment under OIL for one eligible member of each bereaved family and financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh and advanced medical treatment for each injured worker.The All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) had earlier demanded compensation of at least Rs 5 crore for each bereaved family. A delegation from its Dibrugarh district committee visited OIL’s headquarters in Duliajan on Monday and submitted a memorandum addressed to the company’s chairman and managing director.Aasu also demanded employment for one eligible member of each bereaved family, along with adequate compensation and advanced medical treatment for critically injured workers. It warned of an agitation if the company failed to address its demands.The explosion occurred around 9.05 am on Nov 6 while workers were carrying out maintenance activities at the facility. According to OIL’s preliminary assessment, it occurred in the Indirect Bath Heater (IDBH) area of the ITF, which had been isolated for maintenance since Nov 4. The blast triggered a massive fire.OIL had announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased worker and Rs 5 lakh to each injured employee. It also suspended four personnel—three officers and one employee—for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with the incident.Critically injured worker Indra Gogoi was airlifted to New Delhi on Nov 9 for specialised treatment. Another critically injured worker is undergoing treatment for serious burn injuries at a private hospital in Dibrugarh.OIL has formed an internal inquiry committee to investigate the immediate and underlying causes of the explosion and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents. The exact cause has not yet been officially established.
