The grieving family of Arnab Kishor Bordoloi, an electrical engineer of Oil India Limited (OIL), who died on 9th September last while working at the Baghjan Well No 5 blowout site, wrote an open letter to the company asking for clarity on the matter.
As reported by OIL on its social media sites, Arnab fell unconscious while working at the site. They also stated that he had been provided with emergency healthcare by doctors at site and taken to the Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh where he was declared dead.
On Saturday, 12th September, Arnab's father, Bijit Bordoloi, who is an electrical engineer by profession in ASEB, wrote an open letter to Oil India Limited questioning their lack of responsibility towards "(their) faithful employees."
Part of the letter reads, “… we will come and fight with might and force… we would request you to be transparent about the whole fiasco.”
G Plus spoke exclusively to Arnab's family on the same. His mother, Monika Bordoloi said, "Oil India's officials who have been working there for the last 25-30 years, they themselves are accepting that it's a new experience for all of them. Then on what ground did they send him (Arnab), who just joined two years back, to such a hazardous place? Even if he had been sent, was there any expert on-site to monitor him? If yes, then why are they not disclosing his name? It must be his negligence then."
"As far as we know, he was sent with only a helper and two technicians since nobody else wants to work in that site. They sent him and are now trying to save themselves since the accident happened," said Arnab’s mother.
“We will not get our son back, but we do not want anyone else’s son to be a similar victim,” she said.
His family told G Plus that though mobile phones are strictly prohibited within the Baghjan blowout zone due to the high amount heat, the instructions that had been sent to Arnab were through WhatsApp. But even after 5 days of the incident OIL is still not being able to disclose who was actually giving him the instructions through WhatsApp.
"Is it that tough to find out for a company like Oil India Limited?" his mother asked.
"WhatsApp is for normal conversation, not for giving official instructions that are also as important as this," Arnab's sister Ananya told G Plus.
"We want to figure out the safety lapses that triggered his accident. Plus we expect a transparent external inquiry." She posted on Instagram, adding, "Being his sister, I'll definitely fight till the end."
G Plus also got to know from them that initially Arnab's phone was not handed over to the family. Many from the company were saying many different things regarding the existence of the mobile phone though later it was discovered at the incident site itself, but in a completely damaged condition.
"How was it possible that the other stuff in his pocket from the wallet, keys to the three metal knot screws are in totally fine condition but only the mobile phone is completely burnt?" asked his mother.
According to the family, on the day of the accident, he had to deliver a presentation. But how he ended up being at the blowout site, on whose order and on instructions he was working under and was being monitoring are the clarifications that the family is seeking from OIL specifically.
Arnab's father also expressed his apprehension that he had been sent to do some work related to electricity in a heat zone where water was been sprayed all the time to keep it cool. By the time he reached the spot, he must have been all wet in water and sweat, he expressed.
He further added, "My concern is whether he was well equipped to work there with proper water-proof safety gear or not. Who was there to ensure and instruct?"
G Plus spoke to Tridiv Hazarika, PRO, and Spokesperson of OIL to ask about the same. Hazarika said, "It will be not proper for me to comment on these questions," adding, "Parallel investigations are already going on. Most of the questions raised in that letter, more or less the inquiries are all about the same. We will be absolutely transparent."
Hazarika added, "Even for minor accidents where people do not even have to die, agencies like DGMS and OISD conduct their independent inquiries immediately. Once the reports are ready we will share them with the family. In the meantime, since they have written a formal letter to the company, we are duty-bound to reply to that letter, and maybe by tomorrow (Monday) our letter will reach them."
The family has informed G Plus that autopsy reports have not arrived yet.
Arnab Bordoloi was the third OIL employee who lost his life at the Baghjan site.