Egyptian gas pipeline blast caused by gas leak – TV
By Ria Novosti
The explosion at a pipeline in Egypt’s North Sinai on Saturday was caused by a gas leak, Al Arabiya television said, citing unidentified sources.
The blast at the pipeline, which supplies gas to Israel, Jordan and other states, occurred on Saturday morning near the Egyptian town of El Arish, close to the border with Israel.
A gas station located near the blast site was not damaged, officials said. The fire that broke out after the explosion has been extinguished.
The Egyptian authorities earlier blamed the explosion on saboteurs.
The governor of the province said later the Egyptian Army stopped the gas flow at the pipeline following the explosion.
Al Jazeera reported earlier the explosion hit the gas supplies to Jordan, not Israel.
The Israeli radio said gas was still flowing to Israel despite the blast.
The Egyptian opposition earlier called to shut the Egyptian gas supplies to Israel citing security threat. Israel has voiced concerns that the shutdown could bring severe damage to the country.
