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Blast in gas pipeline

ANKARA: An explosion on Saturday caused a huge fire on a natural gas pipeline in eastern Turkey, the Energy Ministry said. The explosion occurred in Turkey's eastern province of Agri, Energy Ministry spokesman Bulent Ismen said. The region's Governor, Halil Ibrahim Akpinar, said autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels were suspected of carrying out an attack. He did not say if a bomb had caused the explosion. The state-owned Anatolia news agency said the pipeline was carrying Iranian natural gas. Mr. Ismen said the fire was on a pipeline carrying gas within Turkey.

Earlier, a paramilitary police official in Agri and the private NTV television had said that the fire was on the newly inaugurated pipeline carrying oil from the Caspian Sea to Turkey. The paramilitary official said the fire was visible from miles away. The blast was so powerful it shook houses in nearby villages, the Dogan news agency reported. — AP

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