Five critically injured, one missing after major explosion hits oil India's Tengakhat Tank Farm in Assam

An explosion and fire struck Oil India Limited's (OIL) Intermediate Tank Farm (ITF) in Tengakhat, Dibrugarh district, on Friday morning, injuring at least six workers and leaving another missing. The blast occurred inside the crude oil storage facility while a technical crew operated a high-pressure valve system during scheduled maintenance.

Routine maintenance operation triggers explosion

The incident took place during periodic machinery servicing handled by Mumbai-based contractor Spectron Engineers Private Limited.

Cause under investigation: Preliminary reports indicate a valve failure occurred while workers performed routine monthly servicing on crude oil storage machinery.

Casualty breakdown: Five workers were admitted to Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh, while a sixth injured technician was taken to Oil India Hospital.

Missing personnel search: The force of the detonation threw one worker clear off the platform. Specialist search teams are actively scouring the site to locate him.

"During technical work, a fire broke out and around five people were injured and brought to AMCH," confirmed Kamal Phukan, Area Manager of Spectron Engineers Pvt Ltd. "Special teams are working to trace our missing team member."

Contract technicians identified following AMCH admission

Five of the injured workers receiving critical care at AMCH have been identified as regional residents:

• Tapas Gogoi (40) — Resident of Milan Nagar, Dibrugarh
• Shailen Gogoi (45) — Resident of Tengakhat
• Kumud Gogoi (38) — Resident of Tengakhat
• Golap Dutta (58) — Resident of Tengakhat
• Indra Gogoi (40) — Resident of Tengakhat

Medical staff at both AMCH and Oil India Hospital are monitoring the workers' conditions, while safety inspectors from Oil India Limited inspect the facility to determine the precise sequence of mechanical failures.

ALSO READ | Four coaches of Karmabhoomi Express catches fire near Patiala, no casualties reported