An explosion damaged the Amber Grid gas pipeline connecting the Baltic countries with Poland this afternoon. The accident, which did not claim any lives, happened in northern Lithuania. “Around 5 p.m. (local time), an explosion occurred at the Amber Grid gas pipeline in Pasvalys district. According to initial information, no one was injured,” said a statement from the company that manages the infrastructure.
The explosion occurred near the Pasvalis-Siauliai highway, traffic was temporarily suspended. The flames reached a height of 50 meters. “There are no residential buildings nearby, but no one knows how far residents may need to be evacuated,” said Gintautas Geguzinskas, governor of the Pasvaly region.
The explosion was caused by a technical accident. He reports it Raimonds Cudars, Energy Minister from neighboring Latvia, speaking to the SNB news agency, according to which the pipeline transports natural gas from Klaipeda, Lithuania to Latvia. Cudars added that the blast has not caused any problems with natural gas supplies in Latvia so far. The village of Valakeliai, which has around 250 inhabitants and is close to the site of the explosion, was evacuated as a precaution.