Explosion in Arab gas pipeline, power outage in Syria

Ballet, dated 24 August 2020, Monday

An explosion in an Arab gas pipeline has caused power outages in Syria. The blast is giving an early signal that the pipeline has been attacked. The country's energy minister informed state-run television on Monday.

This TV channel has made the photo of the explosion viral. A huge fire broke out after the explosion. Officials say the blast occurred between the Syrian town of Dumair and Adwani, northwest of the capital, Damascus.

Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Dhanam said initial indications were that the pipeline had been attacked. "Petrol is being delivered through this pipeline to the power station in the south," he said. A technical team has recently arrived at the scene to investigate the exact cause of the blast.

Meanwhile, the power minister said the state news agency Sena had said that the power situation in the country was slowly improving.

Insurgents opened fire on a gas pipeline during the country's civil war in 2013, sending electricity across Syria. The Arab gas pipeline system extends from Egypt to Jordan and Syria.