Less than a month after an industrial disaster cost 12 lives in Vishakhapatnam, yet another toxic gas leak this time in Assam triggered a massive fire and extensive ecological damage.

After 14 days of continuous gas leak in an oil well, the Baghjan oil field in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district burst into flames on 9th June with the fire going so high that the thick cloud of smoke could be spotted from a distance of 30 kms from the site.

A day later on 11th June, bodies of two firefighters who died fighting the massive blaze were recovered from a pond that they had jumped into as the fire engulfed the oil field. Thousands of locals had to be evacuated to relief centres, at least 30 houses that were close to the oil field were gutted in the fire and this incident also cost an enormous loss to the biodiversity of the area.

But what events led to such a disaster in the Oil India Limited-operated Baghjan gas field? Why did the gas leak go on for two weeks? What is being done to control the disaster? And what kind of ecological damage are we looking at? Tune in to The Big Story!

Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guest: Rituraj Phukan, Rituraj Phukan Editor: Shelly Walia

Reference:

How Oil Spill Damaged Assam's Ecological Zones

Fire at oil well after gas leak threatens life, livelihood and biodiversity in Assam

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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