Guwahati, Sep 29: A fire broke out at a pump in the ONGC plant in Assam's Jorhat district due to an accidental blast, officials said Saturday. However, there was no report of any causality in the blast, for which the ULFA militants have claimed responsibility.
A spokesman said the fire at GGS (Gas Gathering Station) in the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) plant at Barkhola in Jorhat took place around 9.30 p.m. Friday.
He said that the fire occurred due to an accidental blast in the plant due to some technical snag. The production process has not been hampered due to the incident.
"The crude oil, which was stored in the pump and sent through pipes for refining, caught fire leading to the explosion of the tank," he said adding that the blast caused a loss of about Rs.50 lakh.
However, the anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants claimed responsibility for the blast and said that the attack was part of the outfit's campaign to strike at vital installations, protesting against the exploitation of the Central government.
Police officials, however, said that the blast was triggered due to some technical snag and that it was not triggered by the anti-talk militants of the ULFA.
"A detailed investigation, which was being under taken by the ONGC authority, will divulge the exact reason of the blast," a senior Assam Police official said.
