Ukraine gas pipeline blast caused by pressure loss, sabotage not ruled out

17:56, 17.06.2014 1 min read

The explosion on the Urengoi-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline in the Poltava region was caused by a loss of pressure, a spokeswoman for the regional office of the State Emergency Situations Service, Svitlana Rybalko, told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

Specialists have found that a loss of pressure occurred, she said.

"At this moment, the main gas authority is doing the repair work to discontinue gas supplies by way of closing the caps," Rybalko said.

Eleven emergency vehicles and 46 rescuers are working at the scene. Populated areas were not cut off from the gas supply.

Meanwhile, a law enforcement source told Interfax-Ukraine that the gas pipeline explosion (in the village of Pestychevske, Lokhvytsia district, Poltava region) might have been the result of a sabotage attack.

"The area covered by the fire is reaching one kilometer. The preliminary theory is sabotage," the source said.