Thursday, September 15 2005 20:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwahati: A major fire broke out in an abandoned oil well of Oil India Limited (OIL) at Kuhibari near Dikon in upper Assam's Dibrugarh district today (Sept 15, 2005)causing more than 500 families and hundreds of tea workers to be evacuated to safer places.

No casualty was reported in the incident as a massive operation was launched with at least 50 fire tenders from Indian Air Force, OIL, North East Electrical Power Corporation, ONGC and the state government, OIL sources said.

The fire broke out in oil well number 15, closed on June 15, 1992, due to high pressure and is expected to continue for the next three days, the sources said.

OIL has requested the help of an expert team of fire extinguishers from Russia, who are expected to arrive at Dikom tomorrow (Sept 16, 2005), the sources said.

The blaze lead to a oil spill which covered a nearby paddy field and the OIL authorities evacuated 500 families living in its vicinity.

They were lodged at the Dikom high school, while hundreds of laborers of the nearby Dikom tea estate where also shifted to safer places, the sources said adding OIL is providing relief materials to the evacuated families.

As a precautionary measure, the district authorities have blocked the nearby NH 37 and also cut off electricity as high tension wires passed near the oil well and spillage area.