The oil well fire in Assam’s Baghjan has brought unimaginable destruction with it. That of property, wildlife and spirit.
Forced to leave their houses with whatever they could get their hands on, people are heartbroken and the tragedy is too big for words.
There is one thing that explains it though: This picture.
Clicked by freelance photographer Diganta Rajkhowa, this picture is a heart-shattering representation of the pain of people whose lives were changed in a matter of a few moments.
Their fault? In this case, none whatsoever.
In the picture, a man and a woman can be seen looking at the fire in distance, and many could connect with the melancholy of it.
The fire has claimed the lives of two firefighters and has led to evacuation of 1,600 families. Most of them are kept together in vacant schools, which has the potential of turning the situation into a COVID-19 nightmare.
Adding to the heartbreak is enormous loss of flora and fauna in this region flourishing with biodiversity.