A fire that ravaged an oil well for five months was extinguished in India.
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NEW CHINA / SIPA
The fire had been fought since June.
A gigantic fire that raged for more than five months in an oil well located in the state of Assam, in northeastern India, has finally been extinguished, announced the company Oil India.
The fire was started by an explosion following a gas and oil leak that appeared at the end of May.
Two company employees died in the explosion, which erected a wall of flame and sent huge plumes of smoke into the sky.
A third worker died in September after an accident at the site.
To fight this fire, experts from Singapore, the United States and Canada came to support Oil India.
The fire has now been "completely extinguished," company spokesman Tridiv Hazarika said on Sunday.
“The well has been treated with saline solution and is now under control,” he said, adding that the well had not yet been plugged.
“There is no more pressure in the well now and it will be monitored for 24 hours to check if there is gas migration and pressure build-up.
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An impact on the environment
The Baghjan oil field sits next to Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and wetlands where several endangered species live, including tigers and elephants.
The region is also home to several bird sanctuaries.
In a report published in July, the Wildlife Institute of India pointed out that the oil spill, caused by the well explosion, had had a "large-scale impact" on local plant and animal life.
“The toxins released are known to have long-term persistence in soils and sediments, which will not only affect current living conditions, but due to their sustained release over a long period, poses a serious health risk. longer term, ”added the institute.
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