In pictures: Assam blowout and fire that followed

On May 27, the Baghjan 5 well, an Oil India Limited (OIL) - owned well, reported a blowout, or a sudden, uncontrolled release of gas/oil. As the authorities struggled to contain it, the blowout caught fire on the fourteenth day. According to experts, it is not uncommon for a blowout to catch fire since the gases released are highly volatile and even a slightest spark can set it off. (Express photo: Diganta Rajkhowa)

Known as one of the most prolific reservoirs of OIL, Baghjan 5 produces around 80,000 standard cubic metres per day of gas from a depth of 3,870 metres. As per officials, the current discharge is at 90,000 SCMD at a pressure of 4,200 PSI, far higher than the normal producing pressure of around 2,700 PSI. “The force with which a pressure cooker releases steam is understandable. Imagine a situation where one million pressure cookers do the same in an uncontrolled manner,” says geologist Siddhartha Kumar Lahiri of Dibrugarh University. (Express photo: Diganta Rajkhowa)

Nearly seven thousand people from Baghjan village were evacuated and are now accommodated in 12 relief camps. OIL has announced Rs 30,000 to each of the displaced families, the initial and partial compensation as an immediate relief measure. The fire has burnt approximately 25 houses, and residents have been complaining of physical symptoms, caused by the sound and smell of the escaping gases. (Express photo: Diganta Rajkhowa)

The well, drilled in 2006, is located at a 900m aerial distance of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (DSNP), and next to the Maguri-Motapung wetland, recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the Bombay Natural History Society. DSNP is home to 36 species of mammals and 382 species of birds, and known for its feral horses. Animals including an endangered gangetic dolphin, a particolored flying squirrel, a snake as well as a variety of fish have died as the condensate spread to the surrounding areas. Birds too have left the area, according to Rajendra Bharti, DFO Tinsukia. (Express photo: Diganta Rajkhowa)

The control of a blowout depends on two things: the size of the reservoir and the pressure at which the gas/oil is flowing out. Experts from Singapore — assisted by a crisis management team from OIL and ONGC— are trying to contain it. According to them, it will take about for weeks for the extremely specialised process to complete. (Express photo: Diganta Rajkhowa)