The structure collapse of the Soyuz trunk gas pipeline's section in Zakarpattia region, Ukraine, will not affect gas transportation to Ukrainian and European consumers, the Ukrtransgaz company reported on Friday.

Preparations are currently under way to repair the pipeline, the company's central dispatch department reported.

The Zakarpattia emergency situations service had earlier reported about the structure collapse of an underground section of the Soyuz trunk gas pipeline near the village of Horodylove, Khust district of Zakarpattia region, which later caused gas self-ignition.

A gas flare ignited at 12:03 p.m. on January 1. The incident did not cause casualties, and the gas supply to populated areas has not been discontinued.

Ukrtransgaz, which is fully controlled by the national energy company Naftogaz Ukrainy, operates the national system of trunk gas pipelines and 12 underground storage facilities, whose aggregate capacity is 31 billion cubic meters.