Lithuanian gas operator: according to preliminary data, the explosion on the pipeline in the Pasvalsky district occurred for technical reasons

According to preliminary data, the cause of the explosion on the gas pipeline in the Pasvalsky district of Lithuania was a technical malfunction. This was announced by Nemunas Biknyus, head of the Lithuanian gas operator Amber Grid.

“Currently, we have employees on site who are instructed to look into the situation. <...> The initial inspection shows that the weld could simply have come apart, ”he said.

At the same time, Biknyus specified that the investigation is still ongoing, and it will be possible to finally establish the cause of the explosion within a few days.

“Everything will depend on the authorities, but we hope that this will happen today or tomorrow,” he said.

The explosion on the gas pipeline occurred the night before. A fire broke out on the spot, a fiery column about 50 meters high appeared. The authorities evacuated the nearby village of Valakelai and also blocked the road near the village.

The gas pipeline where the explosion occurred is used to supply gas to the northern part of Lithuania and transport gas to Latvia.