Ufficiale egiziano: esplosione del gasdotto dovuto a fuga di gas

Egyptian official says blast caused by gas leak

(Video) Israel Radio says Egypt-Israel pipeline not damaged, but gas supply stopped as precaution. PMO: We're prepared for such situations

VIDEO - The head of Egypt's natural gas company said a fire at a gas terminal in the northern Sinai Peninsula was caused by a gas leak.

Saturday's fire, preceded by an explosion, did not cause casualties. However, officials had to shut off the flow of gas to neighboring Jordan and Israel to contain the blazeThe head of the Egyptian company for natural gas, Magdy Toufik, said in a statement that the fire broke out "as a result of a small amount of gas leaking."Earlier state television said saboteurs blew up the gas pipeline in north Sinai in what its reporter referred to as a "big terrorist operation."  A security source said the Egyptian army closed the main source of gas supplying the pipeline.Another security source in North Sinai said the blast took place at the Jordanian branch of the pipeline, not the one leading to Israel,srael Radio said the Egypt-Israel pipeline was not damaged, but the supply was stopped as a precaution.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel "is prepared for situations in which the supply of gas from Egypt is stopped, and we have the option of immediately switching to alternative energy sources."

Netanyahu met with Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau and security establishment officials to discuss the attack in Egypt. The Infrastructure Ministry said its does not expect any disruptions in the supply of electricity.

"It is still unclear whether any damage was caused to the infrastructure of the gas pipeline in Egypt, but as a security precaution Israel has stopped the transfer of gas (from Egypt)," the PMO said.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak's office said the security establishment has beefed up security at its energy facilities.  continua qui