A powerful explosion ripped through a gas pipeline on the outskirts of the Siberian city of Omsk early Tuesday, November 18, prompting emergency crews scrambling to the scene.
Regional Governor Vitaly Khotsenko confirmed the incident on Telegram, confirming that the explosion was caused due to a gas leak from an underground section of a main pipeline.
Khotsenko also assured, “According to preliminary information, there are no casualties.”
But local reports from Telegram channels described a strong chemical permeating the air in Rostovka.
The scale of fire was significant with some reports describing flames reaching 30-40 meters high.
Russia’s TASS news agency, citing the local FSB security services, reported that the blaze broke out during repair work and has since been contained.
Specialized emergency teams and law enforcement agencies are on-site, working to fully extinguish the fire and analyse the main cause of the rupture.
The incident has led to temporary gas supply disruptions for some local industrial enterprises, with authorities expecting to restore service within a day.
This recent explosion is the latest in a series of incidents affecting Russian energy infrastructure in recent months.