Baghjan (Assam):The Baghjan oil well fire has finally been doused after 173 days of activity. The fire had started in Oil India Limited (OIL)'s well number 5 of Baghjan on 27th of May this year. Initial attempts to bring the inferno under control were unsuccessful and even claimed the lives of two firefighters.
The snubbing machine was brought from Canada to blow out the fire.
Due to the blowout and the fire at the well, thousands of people had to flee and were rendered homeless, while major damage was caused to the environment, including deaths of dolphins, fishes and other wildlife.
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The initial blaze at the well was so massive that plumes of black smoke could be seen from a distance of more than 30 km, endangering the local biodiversity, including the nearby Dibru-Saikhowa National Park which was already reeling under the impact of the blowout.