Assam Pipeline Blast: Crude Oil Spills into Residential Areas, Residents Urge Pipeline Inspection
Image Source: Internet
A loud explosion rocked Halmari Dighalia Gaon in Assam's Dibrugarh district late Monday night when an Oil India Limited (OIL) pipeline burst, spilling crude oil into residential areas. Residents described the chaos that ensued as crude oil poured out of the damaged pipeline and spread across the surrounding areas. Monimanik Gogoi, a resident, said: 'We heard a loud sound, and when we came out, we saw that an OIL pipeline had burst and crude oil was spilling out.' OIL fire tenders responded promptly to contain the spill. Residents expressed concerns over the safety of the aging pipeline infrastructure, citing the presence of around 50 oil wells and multiple collecting stations in the village. They urged the immediate replacement of old pipelines to prevent accidents. 'A major incident could have happened, but it was averted due to timely intervention,' said a resident. This incident is a stark reminder of a similar incident in February last year, where one person was killed and four others were injured during repair work in Dibrugarh's Duliajan. The OIL had ordered an inquiry into the incident, citing high pressure in a pipeline as the cause and promising to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
