Durlov Gogoi, who represented Assam in several national level football tournaments in the junior level and a regular at OIL Football Club, was one of the casualties of the oil well explosion and fire at Baghjan in Tinsukia district on June 9.
Two bodies, including Durlov’s, were recovered from near the site on June 10 morning. The oil well caught fire on June 9 after a huge explosion.
The other deceased has been identified as Tirtheswar Gohain.
The oil well, operated by Oil India Limited (OIL), had developed a burst on May 27 and since then it continued to leak gas and associated condensate causing threat to the lives and environment.
OIL spokesman Tridiv Hazarika said that their bodies have been retrieved from a pond near the site. They were believed to have jumped in the pond when the explosion took place.
“We are pained to get the news of Durlov’s demise. I hope it is not true,” footballer Durga Boro, once a teammate of Durlov at OIL FC, told The News Mill.
Durga said that Durlov, a goalkeeper, was his senior and had joined the OIL FC in 2003. He stopped playing in around 2012. After that he was fully engaged in work with OIL.
“I came to know yesterday (June 9) that he was missing. My worst fear came true today. I knew he could not swim,” Durga said.
Apart from his stint with the OIL team, Durlov also represented the Assam team at the various national tournaments.
Sources close to Durlov’s family said that he went to morning shift duty and to replace a colleague who was not well. “That’s the destiny. He was destined to die like this. Hope his soul rests in peace,” said a source close to his family.
