Shops reopen as flames sink

The main blaze at Tengratila gas field stopped roaring and shrunk to less then 15 feet by yesterday. Burning gas was still gushing through 30 to 35 cracks around the relief well, but with lesser intensity.

The tremor has also gone since Thursday, locals said, but gas was still bubbling up in the marshes to the north of the field.

The necessity of livelihood yesterday made a good number of shop-owners to open up their businesses at Tengratila Bazaar adjacent to the infamous gas field.

Tengratila Dabi Aday Sangram Parishad staged a human chain and a rally in front of the gas field office in the afternoon to press home a set of demands including adequate compensations for the affected villagers.

The villagers were also worried over the move to drill a fresh relief well at a spot very near to the first one, which has been on fire for the last two weeks.

Most of the parts of the rig for drilling the second relief well have already arrived from Unocal's Moulvibazar gas field by barges along the Surma river, said a Niko official yesterday afternoon. With the rest of the parts expected to arrive within two more days, work is on to prepare the drilling pad, he added.

A local logistic firm has been tasked with transporting the rig and started working on Tuesday.