New Delhi: The well blowout site in Assam's Baghjan has turned out to be a hotspot of COVID-19 infection as 100 employees of Oil India Limited, including Chairman and Managing Director Sushil Chandra Mishra and two directors, have been infected but have also recovered so far, sources who spoke to PSU Watch on the condition of anonymity said. In addition, to the OIL team, 13 of the 14 people of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) team who have been assisting OIL in controlling the gas leak in Assam, were also found to be COVID positive. All ONGC employees, except one, have recovered.
According to multiple sources, the 100 OIL employees, including the CMD, two directors and the head of OIL's Baghjan unit, the local HR head and the team engaged in controlling the gas leak, contracted the virus while working at the blowout site.
Oil PSUs, which have been functioning throughout the duration of the lockdown and in its aftermath, have reported a huge surge in COVID-19 infections because of being at the forefront of the crisis. However, authorities have been reluctant in revealing the actual number of infections. Unofficial sources from across oil PSUs, who have spoken to PSU Watch, have said that the number of infections and deaths have seen a surge over the months.
One of the wells in an oilfield owned by OIL started leaking gas uncontrollably on May 27 and a blast on June 9 lead to a fire that is still burning at the mouth of the well. The authorities have been engaged in plugging the gas leak for over three months now, but are yet to successfully undertake the final well killing operation.
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