gasexplosion Baumgarten Austria Italy Guardian 2017-12-12
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/12/italy-declares-state-emergency-gas-explosion-austria
Italy declares state of emergency after deadly gas explosion in Austria
One dead and 18 injured after blaze tears through Baumgarten gas hub, plunging Europe into an energy crisis
Fireball follows explosion at gas plant in Austria - video
Reuters in Vienna
Tuesday 12 December 2017 13.14 GMT Last modified on Tuesday 12 December 2017 14.51 GMT
A deadly explosion and fire that ripped through Austria's main gas
pipeline hub has caused Italy to declare a state of emergency due to a
lack of supplies.
One person was killed and 18 injured in the blast on Tuesday in
Baumgarten, eastern Austria.
A police spokesman said: "There was an explosion around 8:45am (0745 GMT)
and a fire. A wide area has been sealed off and there are expected to be
several injured."
In Britain, Europe's biggest gas market, gas for immediate delivery rose
35% to 92p per therm, its highest level for four years.
Gas Connect Austria, which operates the Baumgarten site, said the blaze
had been brought under control. Police said the cause was technical in
origin.
Footage on social and other media showed a column of flames rising from
the site.
The hub is important for European gas transit, with natural gas
transported to Baumgarten through Slovakia and Germany along several
pipelines. Gas flows are then delivered throughout Europe via Austria's
transmission network. Firefighters try to extinguish the blaze.
Gas Connect Austria said deliveries to Austria's southern and
south-eastern borders would be affected until further notice.
Italy's industry minister said the country must grapple with a "serious"
energy supply problem.
Slovakia's main gas transit route to Austria was suspended after the
fire, said the Slovak pipeline operator, Eustream.
Russia's Gazprom Export said it was trying to redirect gas flows and
secure uninterrupted supplies.
Gas prices elsewhere in Europe soared on concerns about supply.
The Italian wholesale day-ahead price surged 97% to a record high of
EUR47 per megawatt-hour.