SOFIA - A pipeline carrying gas from Russia to Greece exploded early Monday in southwestern Bulgaria, cutting off supplies but causing no casualties, officials said.
"There was a big explosion this morning but there were no victims or wounded. The gas supplies were automatically cut off and there is no danger to the environment," said police spokeswoman Guergana Moralieva.
"Experts are currently working to determine the cause of the explosion," she said, speaking from the southwestern Blagoevgrad region where the accident occurred.
Anguel Semerdjiev, executive director of Bulgartransgaz -- which controls gas supplies in Bulgaria -- said on national radio that the "explosion was probably caused by a landslide which caused a rupture."
He said supplies would resume in two to three days after repairs.
Russia's Gazprom meanwhile said in Moscow that "experts from Bulgartransgaz and natural gas operators are taking all necessary steps to repair the pipeline as soon as possible and to resume supplies to the levels specified in the contract."
Bulgargaz said it supplied about 2.9 billion cubic metres of Russian gas to Greece through Bulgaria last year.
Gazprom chief Alexei Miller last year said Greece could eventually become a transit point for Russian gas supplies to Europe.
08/06/2007 13:18 GMT