Blast Hits Egypt's Damietta-Port Said Gas Pipeline

A blast hit a gas pipeline in the coastal governorate of Damietta in Egypt, causing a massive fire but leaving no casualties. The pipeline connects Damietta, which is around 180km north of Cairo, and the nearby coastal city of Port Said.

The blast left no casualties, Damietta’s governor Ismail Abdel-Hamid said.

Witnesses said plumes of smoke could be seen some 15km away from the scene of the explosion.

Officials said it was not immediately clear if the blast was caused by a technical failure or a terror attack.

Islamist Militants have repeatedly targeted gas pipelines in Sinai dozens of times since Egypt’s 2011 revolution, often forcing a halt in gas supplies to Jordan and earlier to Israel.

Provincial security chief Faysal Dewidar said the explosion had not affected the gas supply to homes in the area. He added that forensic examinations were underway to identify the cause of the fire.

The explosion took place late on Sunday night, several hours before the fifth anniversary of the 2011 revolution.

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