The detonation recorded in a gas pipeline located at a plant of the Electricity Company of Syria, in the northwest of the country, has caused a fire in the facilities and has left three power plants out of service due to the cut-off of the gas supply that feeds them.
"The Electricity Company of Syria announces that the power plants of Deir Ali, Nasiriya, and Tishrin are out of service due to an explosion in a gas pipeline at the Tishrin plant," the company announced in a statement in which it emphasizes that the explosion "has interrupted the gas supply necessary for the operation of the plants" and has caused a fire.
The company has explained that the shutdown of these facilities "entails a temporary reduction in the available generation capacity," warning that this situation "will temporarily affect the electricity supply schedules and increase rationing."
Shortly after, the company stated that "the Firefighters and specialized teams have extinguished the fire" at the affected plant, although "work continues at the site to secure the area and assess the damage caused by the incident, while an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the explosion," which remains unclear for now.
According to the company, the complete extinguishing of the fire and the subsequent tasks "will allow for the necessary technical measures to be taken and gradually reactivate the affected plants," while it has confirmed that there have been no fatalities or injuries as a result of the explosion.
The Minister of Energy does not rule out sabotage
The Minister of Energy, Mohamed al Bashir, has traveled to the affected site, where he indicated to the media that "it is unknown whether it was a technical failure, a targeted attack, or an act of sabotage." "It is still unclear," he added, detailing that "the site will be inspected to determine the cause once the cooling work is completed."
The Energy Minister explained that "the confirmed damages so far affect the gas pipelines and some electrical cables." "We have not yet inspected the turbines or the main equipment, but we hope they remain intact," he specified.
After the extinction of the fire, Al Bashir has confirmed that at the Deir Ali plant, "once the cooling is finished," the authorities plan to "gradually increase the pressure to reactivate the plant," while the Tishrin plant "will require rehabilitation and maintenance work; we will address this issue soon, after fully assessing the damages."
The explosion at the Tishrin plant occurs just two days after the Jibsé gas pipeline, in the Al Shalaula area, was "the subject of an act of sabotage" in which "an explosive device was used against a line shut-off valve," the minister recalled, before emphasizing that "in this specific case, the cause of the explosion and the subsequent fire has not yet been confirmed." "Once the cooling is finished, we will send specialized teams to inspect the site and determine the cause accurately," he reiterated.