HT Digital
GUWAHATI, JUNE 14: Attempts are in full progress to control an out-of-control gas leak from well RDS#147A, situated close to Bhotiapar in the Rudrasagar oil field of Assam’s Sivasagar district. The event raised serious alarm among residents as well as officials, particularly after an explosion had taken place at the well on Wednesday, June 12.
The explosion at the 147 No. rig of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) released natural gas in a deafening roar. The strength of the emission and the sound generated created panic among residents of nearby villages, with the noise being heard as far away as 3–4 kilometers. Terrified residents ran for their lives from their homes, praying for safety.
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Reacts, the Crisis Management Team of ONGC has been dispatched to the location and is working diligently to take the situation under control. The team is in the process of laying down necessary equipment for the well control operation. As per an official release by ONGC, the fluids that would be used to control the well have been readied, and the next phase of the operation is likely to start with sunrise. Because of the extreme danger presented by the gas leak, the site has been access-restricted to only operational staff.
Emergency response teams have also arrived at the site, but the environment is still tense as gas keeps leaking freely. Frightened locals are demanding immediate action and safety guarantees from ONGC and the district administration.
As a precautionary measure, the Sivasagar district administration has shifted nearly 70 families residing in the vicinity to one relief camp. Authorities are still keeping a close watch on the situation as the containment efforts go on.
