Durlabh Gogoi and Tikheswar Gohain honoured with President's Fire Service Medal for Gallantry

Guwahati: Oil India Limited (OIL) firemen Durlabh Gogoi and Tikheswar Gohain have been chosen posthumously for President's Fire Service Medal for Gallantry 2020.

The duo made the supreme sacrifice while attempting to cap the catastrophic fire which has caused deaths and extensive damage to human life, habitat and livelihoods in Upper Assam's Tinsukia district.

"Durlabh Gogoi and Tikheswar Gohain were two dedicated employees of Oil India. Our chairman and managing director Sushil Chandra Mishra has announced them as martyrs. The government of India has honoured the two firefighters with President's Fire Service Medal for Gallantry. It is a matter of pride for us," said OIL resident chief executive Dilip Kumar Das, reacting to the development.

It is to be noted that the President's fire service medal for gallantry is honoured to those firefighters or fire service officers who have displayed bravery while dealing with fire situations.

On May 27, public sector Oil India Limited's (OIL) natural gas well no.5 in its Baghjan oilfields in Assam's Tinsukia District suffered a huge blowout, i.e. an uncontrolled release of natural gas while OIL was carrying out workover operations in the gas-producing well. The well caught fire on June 9.

The bodies of the two OIL firefighters Durlabh Gogoi and Tikheswar Gohain were fished out from a nearby water body, where they are believed to have jumped after the well caught fire.

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