A massive explosion hit a major natural gas pipeline near the Syrian capital, Damascus, early on August 24 that triggered power outages across the Middle Eastern country. No deaths were reported due to the blast which struck the Arab Gas Pipeline.
The 1,200 kilometer Arab Gas Pipeline provides fuel from Egypt to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
Power was gradually restored to some areas and firefighting teams were deployed to extinguish the blaze.
The incident occurred in a country which is already battered by years of civil war and an economy already under sanctions from the European Union. Last month, the United States said that it would also impose sanctions on President Bashar Al-Assad, a decision aimed to negotiate an end to the war that started in 2011 and has killed countless Syrians.
The blast may have been an outcome of a terrorist attack, Oil Minister Ali Ghanem said.
Electricity Minister Mohammad Kharboutli said that the explosion occurred between Al-Dhumayr and Adra on the outskirts of Damascus and caused a drop in pressure at the Deir Ali power plant, triggering the outages.
This is the sixth explosion at that part of the pipeline, Kharboutli added.
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