Bomb explosions ignite fires at two gas pipelines in Pakistan

Two bomb explosions ignited fires at two main gas pipelines in eastern Pakistan, rupturing pipes and cutting energy supply to three power plants, an official said Monday. No one was reported hurt.

Photo: Bomb explosions ignite fires at two gas pipelines in Pakistan

The explosions late Sunday damaged sections of parallel pipelines near the town of Shahwali, about 300 kilometers (190 miles) west of Multain in Punjab province, local police official Maqsoodul Hassan said.

Fires erupted at the pipelines after the explosions. Firefighters struggled for six hours to put out the blaze, said Amjad Latif, an engineer with the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Co. Ltd., which operates the pipelines. Gas supply has not yet been restored.

The explosions damaged 10-foot (3-meter) lengths of the pipes, one with 40-centimeter (16-inch) diameter and the other with a 75-centimeter (30-inch) diameter, Hassan said, reports the AP.

I.L.