A gas pipeline in northern Lithuania was damaged by an explosion on Friday. According to initial findings, “no people were injured,” according to operating company Amber Grid.
A nearby village was temporarily evacuated. According to the operating company, there were initially no indications of an act of sabotage, but that possibility is also being carefully investigated.
Amber Grid said the blast did not occur near residential buildings. It happened around 5 p.m. local time about five kilometers from the city of Pasvalys. The nearby village of Valakeliai was temporarily evacuated. By evening the fire was extinguished and the residents of Valakeliai were able to return to their homes.
Amber Grid CEO Nemunas Biknius said an investigation into the cause of the incident has already been launched and measures have been taken to maintain gas supplies. There is currently no indication of intentional damage, but “all possible scenarios” are being investigated.
Flames 50 meters high
The gas pipeline, built in 1978, supplies natural gas to northern Lithuania and Latvia. It consists of two tubes, one of which was damaged by the explosion. A spokesman for the fire department said the flames had reached a height of 50 metres.
In June 2022, Lithuania banned Russian gas imports to reduce its energy dependence on Moscow in the face of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. After Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, the country initially remained heavily dependent on Russian gas. An import terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Klaipeda on the Baltic Sea, which was commissioned in 2014, offered a solution.
In 2022, Lithuania will commission a pipeline that connects the three Baltic states via Poland to the European gas network.
Friday’s blast occurred on the anniversary of an attempted invasion. On January 13, 1991, Soviet troops crossed the border to reoccupy Lithuania. The attempt failed.
Natural gas supply not affected
According to the Baltic news agency BNS, Latvian energy minister Raimonds Cudars said the explosion in the neighboring country’s gas pipeline had no impact on Latvia’s natural gas supply. Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks wrote on Twitter that the incident should be “carefully investigated” and that “even sabotage cannot be ruled out”.
In September, the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines that run through the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany were damaged by explosions. According to the Swedish public prosecutor’s office, these were acts of sabotage. (sda/afp)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
