An explosion and flash fire ripped through Oil India Limited’s Intermediate Tank Farm in Assam's Dibrugarh district on Friday, killing one contract worker and injuring six others during crude oil maintenance operations.
The blast struck the Tengakhat facility without warning. Flames tore through the crude oil storage terminal as technicians operated a pipeline valve during routine servicing. One worker died on the spot. Six crew members sustained blast trauma and severe burn injuries before emergency containment teams brought the blaze under control—prompting company officials to revise an earlier count that had listed one technician missing and five hurt.
Five injured crew members—identified as Tapas Gogoi, 40; Shailen Gogoi, 45; Kumud Gogoi, 38; Golap Dutta, 58; and Indra Gogoi, 40—were rushed to the Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh. A sixth technician was transferred separately to the Oil India Hospital for emergency burns management. Most victims are residents of Tengakhat and Milan Nagar.
All seven workers were personnel from Spectron Engineers Private Limited, a Mumbai-based firm contracted by Oil India Limited to handle mechanical servicing at the terminal. The crew was carrying out scheduled monthly and quarterly overhauls on heavy crude-handling machinery when the terminal bay ignited.
"During technical work, a fire broke out," said Kamal Phukan, Area Manager of Spectron Engineers Private Limited. Phukan confirmed that specialized teams immediately mobilized on-site to account for every worker deployed across the machinery bay. "There was an accident. Our special team worked to locate everyone on site," Phukan stated, as company supervisors coordinated with hospital authorities to monitor the recovery of the admitted workers.
Engineers have cordoned off the Intermediate Tank Farm to inspect the blackened machinery and crude storage tanks. Plant technical units are now scrutinizing the crude oil storage sector, where the ignition occurred while personnel were manipulating a pipeline valve. Investigators will review maintenance logs and pressure tolerances over the coming days to determine whether a pressurized vapor pocket or structural valve failure caused the deadly flash.