Update: suspensions and relief after the Tengakhat blast

This story follows Awaaz Punjab's earlier reports on the November 6 explosion and fire at Oil India Limited's Intermediate Tank Farm at Tengakhat, in which three people died — the toll reached three on November 7 when injured worker Rupam Gogoi died in a Guwahati hospital. The company has now taken disciplinary action against four of its own personnel and announced financial relief for the victims. Read the earlier report: Tengakhat toll rises to three as Rupam Gogoi dies

Dibrugarh (Assam), November 8: Oil India Limited (OIL) has suspended four personnel — three officers and one other employee — in connection with the explosion and fire at its Intermediate Tank Farm (ITF) at Tengakhat in Assam's Dibrugarh district, the company said. OIL spokesperson Prankush Malla Buzarbaruah confirmed the action was taken over alleged lapses in the discharge of their official duties.

Source: DY365

The suspensions are allegations of negligence at this stage; no inquiry findings have been made public yet. The November 6 blast at the crude oil facility killed three people and left four others with serious injuries, according to the reports. The latest victim, Rupam Gogoi of Tengakhat, died on Saturday at a hospital in Guwahati, a day after engineer Tapas Jyoti Gogoi, associated with Spectron Engineering Pvt. Ltd., died in Dibrugarh.

OIL has announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the family of each person who died and Rs 5 lakh for each injured person, according to DY365 and The World Opinion. The company has said it will cooperate fully with any inquiry and take corrective measures to prevent a recurrence.

Source: The World Opinion

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, who represents Dibrugarh in the Lok Sabha, visited the injured at Aastha Hospital in Dibrugarh on Saturday and reviewed their treatment. He had earlier spoken by phone with OIL's Chairman and Managing Director, urging the company to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured and proper support for the bereaved families, The Hindu BusinessLine reported.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

Sonowal has also called for a high-level inquiry to establish exactly how the explosion happened. What caused the blast at the tank farm — reported to have occurred in the crude oil storage section during technical work — has still not been officially established, and the inquiry's findings will decide whether the suspensions announced on Sunday are followed by wider accountability at the facility.