Investigation views terrorism as priority theory in Ukrainian gas pipeline blast - interior minister

18:29, 17.06.2014 1 min read

The investigation is exploring several possible causes of the Tuesday explosion on the Urengoi-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline in the Poltava region, with priority given to a terrorist attack, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said.

"An Interior Ministry operational team is conducting investigative actions to determine the causes of the blast. Several theories of the incident are being explored, including the key theory of a terrorist attack," the Interior Ministry Web site quoted Avakov as saying.

"Gas supply through this gas pipeline branch has been blocked now, the danger of a major disaster has been averted, and the fire had been extinguished as of 1640," he said.

"Gas is being transported fully through a reserve branch," Avakov said.