|
Pipeline blasts shut down Russian gas supplies to Georgia
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-01-22 16:05
Supply of Russian natural gas to neighboring Georgia was suspended early
Sunday after a series of explosions ripped a gas pipeline linking the two
countries.
"A sharp drop in the gas pressure was reported in the Mozdok-Tbilisi gas
pipeline at 2:55 a.m. Sunday (2355 GMT Saturday). At 3:05 a.m. (0005 GMT), the
pipeline was shut off," Vladimir Ivanov, spokesman for the Emergency Situations
Ministry of the Caucasian region of North Ossetia, was quoted by the Interfax
news agency as saying.
The blasts damaged the main and reserve pipelines on the Russian side of the
border with Georgia in North Ossetia, Ivanov said, adding the cause of the
explosions was still unknown and experts were working at the site to
investigate.
Experts estimated restoration of the pipelines will take two to three days.
Georgia is heavily dependent on Russia for gas
supply.
|
