Gas pipeline between Lithuania and Latvia blows up

Hearth put out at web site of a gasoline pipeline explosion in northern Lithuania with no indicators of assault or casualties.

A flame rises after an explosion at a gasoline pipeline close to Pasvalys, 175 km (109 miles) north of Vilnius in northern Lithuania on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023 [Paulius Zidonis/AP]

A gasoline pipeline connecting Lithuania and Latvia was hit by an explosion in northern Lithuania with no quick proof of an assault.

A raging hearth was later put out on the blast web site within the Panevezys county on Friday, Lithuanian gasoline transmission operator Amber Grid stated.

“In keeping with the preliminary evaluation, we don't see any malign trigger however the investigation will cowl all attainable choices,” Amber Grid chief government Nemunas Biknius informed a information convention.

The provision of gasoline was lower off at first because the blast broken certainly one of two parallel pipelines sending gasoline from Lithuania to Latvia. However hours later, the gasoline provide to Latvia was restored, based on Biknius.

Lithuania, like war-torn Ukraine, borders Russia and is located on the Baltic Sea the place the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream gasoline pipelines have been destroyed by explosions final yr.

Flames initially rose some 50 metres (160 toes) within the air and might be seen at a distance of at the very least 17km (11 miles). There have been no accidents or fatalities reported, Baltic information company BNS stated.

Povilas Balciunas, head of public administration within the close by city of Pasvalys, stated flames initially burned like “an enormous torch of gasoline” earlier than calming down.