An explosion hit a gas pipeline linking Poland with northern Lithuania and Latviain the north of the country. The news was reported by the public broadcaster Lithuanian Lrt, which also published images of a large fire in the area.
Pipeline explosion riddle heightens anxiety in Baltic states. A gas pipeline linking the Baltic states of Lithuania and Latvia exploded yesterday, the flames reaching 50 meters high. The cause of the explosion has not yet been identified and the first suspicions arise after the attacks on the NordStream 1 and 2 pipelines on the bottom of the Baltic Sea last September.
The operator of the Lithuanian national gas network, Amber Grid he stated that from the first investigations there are no indications of a possible sabotage, thus turning off the fake news that has begun to invade the media network.
Latvia which supports Ukraine condemning the Russian invasion relies heavily on the pipeline for its gas supplies. Before the invasion, it bought more than 90% of its gas from Russia. After the invasion of Ukraine she turned to supplies from the south through Lithuania's liquefied natural gas terminal at Klaipeda.
Just before 17pm yesterday one of the twin gas pipelines along this route burst near the village of Pasvalis Vienkiemii. There are currently no injuries reported although images posted on social media showed a spectacular glow of gas that lit up a large area around the village.
About 250 people were evacuated as a precaution. The second pipeline remained intact, ensuring the continuity of the gas supply. The managing director of Amber Grid said that "gas supplies are currently suspended and will hopefully resume as soon as possible. Naturally, we will assess the damages. Some of the gas will be burned to enable the pipeline to be repaired. A more thorough investigation will begin immediately and the site will open as soon as the fire is out."