The head of the nation's natural gas transmission system said on Saturday, Jan.14, that a technical problem was most likely sparked by a strong gas pipeline explosion that forced the evacuation of a community in northern Lithuania, reported first by AP.
Flames rose 50 meters or approximately 150 feet) into the air after the explosion on Friday night, Jan. 13. Although no deaths were reported, 250 residents of the adjoining village of Valakeliai were evacuated from the area.
The residents were allowed to return to their homes on Saturday as pipeline repairs got underway after the fire was put out by midnight.
Most Likely Cause
Among the most likely causes of the explosions could be blamed in the pipeline's welding seam, according to Nemunas Biknius, the chairman of AB Amber Grid, which runs Lithuania's natural gas transmission system. However, an investigation is still ongoing and will likely release its full report after a few days.
Biknius said that the explosion was not some kind of intentional activity but rather an accident.
Gas is transported via a pipeline from the Baltic port of Klaipeda, Lithuania, to neighboring Latvia. According to AB Amber Grid, a nearby pipeline that supplies gas to nearby customers was not harmed.
Povilas Balciunas, a municipal government authority, told the AP that the residents are secure and that their health is not at risk due to the gas explosion.
The official added that the gas supply has been restored and the asphalt on the road has melted.
"According to the initial assessment, we do not see any malign cause, but the investigation will cover all possible options," Biknius said in a statement quoted by BBC.
Two Parallel Systems
Biknius noted that officials would try to determine whether recent maintenance work on the 1978-built pipeline may have contributed to the incident.
He further stated that the pipeline's gas supply had been shut off, the fire had decreased after four hours, and authorities and experts looking into the matter had no knowledge of any deliberate damage to the pipeline.
Two parallel systems make up the pipeline, and according to Amber Grid, the explosion happened in one of them. Fortunately, the other one was unharmed.
The company added that the explosion occurred far from any residential structures. In April 2022, Lithuania totally cut off imports of Russian gas in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.
The Klaipeda Liquid Natural Gas terminal, which was established ten years ago, allows the Baltic nation to import gas from other nations. The terminal facilitates deliveries to neighboring countries and fulfills all of Lithuania's needs for natural gas.
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