Oil India Limited (OIL) has increased its ad hoc ex-gratia assistance from ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh for the family of each worker who died in the November 6 fire at its Intermediate Tank Farm (ITF) in Tengakhat, Dibrugarh district, Assam.
The company announced the revised assistance on November 11, following the deaths of six contractual workers who sustained burn injuries in the incident. The fire broke out at around 9:05 am in the Indirect Bath Heater (IDBH) area of the facility while maintenance activities were underway.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
OIL increased its ex-gratia assistance from ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh per deceased worker's family.
Six contractual workers died following the November 6 fire.
The incident occurred at OIL's Intermediate Tank Farm in Tengakhat, Dibrugarh district.
The fire broke out in the Indirect Bath Heater area during maintenance activities.
The contractor separately announced financial assistance for the families of deceased and injured workers.
An internal inquiry committee has been constituted.
According to OIL's initial statement, the affected area had been isolated for maintenance since November 4. Seven workers employed by the operations and maintenance contractor sustained burn injuries. One worker died at the site, while the other six were taken for medical treatment. Five of the injured workers subsequently died, taking the death toll to six.
OIL also arranged specialist medical assistance from Delhi to assess the injured workers. Following a medical assessment, one injured worker, Indra Gogoi, was airlifted to New Delhi on November 9 for specialised treatment at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital. The company said it remained focused on facilitating his medical care.
Separately, the contractor firm announced ad hoc ex-gratia assistance of ₹10 lakh for the family of each deceased worker and ₹5 lakh for the family of each injured worker.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The increased financial assistance provides additional immediate support to the families affected by the industrial accident. The incident also raises important concerns about workplace safety, maintenance procedures and risk management at industrial facilities.
OIL stated that it was contacting the families of the deceased contractual workers to facilitate disbursement of the announced assistance. The company also said that applicable statutory dues and benefits would be settled.
The company has constituted an internal inquiry committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire and identify its immediate and underlying causes.
