Violence and Industrial Accidents Plague Assam Districts

Guwahati: A violent clash erupted at the Nonoi river in Assam when a group of men attacked local fishermen. The dispute began when five or six people, reportedly led by Padum and Papu from Nonoi Kumar Gaon, tried to stop residents from fishing. The fishermen stood their ground. The group responded by pelting stones at them.

One man suffered a serious head injury. Nonoi police arrived, rescued the victim, and rushed him to a hospital. Residents demand justice. They claim the river remains open to all, stating, "No individual or group should prevent others from carrying out traditional fishing activities."

Meanwhile, safety fears mount in the Dibrugarh district after an Oil India Limited canteen blast. The explosion hit a facility in Murani, near Tengakhat, at 3 pm on Sunday, November 8. One person suffered serious injuries and now sits in a hospital.

The blast follows a massive industrial fire at an OIL intermediate tank farm on November 6. That fire killed four workers. The death toll hit four on November 8 when Sailen Gogoi died at Aastha Hospital. All victims worked for Mumbai-based Spectron Engineering Private Limited.

OIL suspended three officers and one employee. The company pledged Rs 10 lakh for each deceased family and Rs 5 lakh for each injured worker. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal demands a high-level probe into the November 6 disaster.