One dead after Austrian gas hub explosion

Getty Images | TOMAS HULIK | AFP

Austria’s main gas pipeline hub at Baumgarten, Eastern Vienna, where an explosion rocked the site on Tuesday 12 December.

An explosion at Austria’s main gas hub Tuesday has left one person dead and several injured, according to a report.

Gas Connect Austria, which operates the Baumgarten site on the Austrian border with Slovakia, said that the cause of the blast was not yet known.

The Austrian Press Agency (APA) is reporting one person dead and 18 injured. The APA also said the plant was now shut down and the fire was contained.

On Twitter, Austrian police reported that the explosion’s origin was “technical”. The force later added that the fire was under control and that emergency services were tending to the injured.

Tweet 1

Russia’s Gazprom, which feeds gas to the hub for delivery around Europe, said it had been forced to reroute supplies to customers.

According to Reuters, deliveries to Italy might be most affected. Shortly after the news, Italy’s wholesale gas price rose 87 percent to 44.50 euros per megawatt hour.

British gas prices also affected by a U.K. pipeline outage, lifted to their highest level since 2013.