Explore on Lithuania, Latvia gas pipeline

The pipeline linking Lithuania and Latvia was hit by an explosion Friday, January 13th, but there is no immediate evidence for an attack, said operator Amber Grid, who carries gas from Lithuania.

A video published by Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT shows a fire fired at the site of the Panevezy district explosion in northern Lithuania. The executive director of the Lithuanian gas pipeline operator said the fire has disappeared.

“According to the initial assessment, we don't see any triggers, but the investigation will cover all possible options”, Amber Grid Executive Director Nemunas Bykniu said at a press conference.

Gas supply was cut off, but the executive director said the blast damaged one of two parallel pipelines sending gas from Lithuania to Latvia and that it is planned to restore supply.

“We plan to restore gas supply within hours, in comparable quantities. We plan that customers do not feel the impact of this” event, Bicnius told reporters.

Lithuania, like Ukraine, which was destroyed by war, is bordered by Russia and is located in the Baltic Sea, where the North Stream gas pipelines, Russia-German, were destroyed by last year's blasts.

The flames initially rose about 50m (160 m) in the air and could be seen at least 17km (11 km) away, LRT said.

BNS news agency reported that there were no injuries or deaths.

Povilas Balciunas, the head of public administration in the nearby town of Pasvalya, told Reuters that the flames were initially seen as a big “player” before they were extinguished.