PM assures central support to Assam on Baghjan fire tragedy

New Delhi, June 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and assured him of all possible support from the Centre in the wake of the Baghjan fire tragedy.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted that Modi discussed the situation in Baghjan fire tragedy in a telephonic conversation with Sonowal.

"...PM assured all possible support from the Centre. The situation is being monitored closely," the PMO tweeted.

At least two firefighters of Oil India Limited (OIL) were killed near the oil well blowout site at Baghjan in Assam's Tinsukia district on Wednesday. Many houses in the adjoining areas were also damaged and several thousand people shifted to safer places and relief camps set up by the OIL.

Natural gas leaking from the well at Baghjan, around 550 km east of Guwahati, for the past 15 days had fueled the fire, causing enormous damage to the region's wildlife and wetlands and other biodiversity.

Even as an expert team from a Singapore emergency management firm was trying to plug the leak, the state government had sought the seek the Indian Air Force to douse the blaze.

Paramilitary forces, NDRF, OIL and ONGC engineers and other experts are workin on a warfooting to douse the fire.

--IANS

rak/tsb