Tinsukia: Assam Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Wednesday visited Baghjan in Tinsukia district where the fire continues to rage at the gas well of Oil India Ltd.
The Minister said that 7,000 people have been affected and damage will be compensated.
Read:|Two firefighters die, over 1,610 families displaced in gas well blowout blaze in Assam
"I had meeting a with Oil India officials, ONGC and district Administration. 7,000 people have been affected. Damage will be assessed and compensation will be given," Patowary said.
The minister further remarked that it will take at least 21 more days to douse the fire at the site.
The well, which has been spewing gas uncontrollably for the last 15 days, caught fire on Tuesday afternoon, killing two firefighters.
Following the well blowout on May 27, OIL said over 1,610 families were moved out of the area and provided shelter at four relief camps, where following the guidelines to check the spread of the coronavirus, including maintaining social distancing, are proving to be a major challenge.
The blaze at the OIL well is so massive that it could be seen from a distance of more than 30 km with thick black smoke going up several metres high, endangering the local biodiversities which were already ravaged by the blowout.
Inputs from ANI
Read:|State honours for two firefighters killed in Assam gas well tragedy
