A pipeline carrying gas from Russia to Greece exploded early on August 6 in Blagoevgrad region in south-western Bulgaria, cutting off supplies but causing no casualties, officials said.

“There was a big explosion this morning but no one was killed or wounded. Gas supply were automatically cut off and there is no danger to the environment,” said police spokesperson Guergana Moralieva, according to Agence-France Presse (AFP).

“Experts are currently working to determine the cause of the explosion,” she said.

The explosion was “probably caused by a landslide which caused a rupture,” said Anguel Semerdzhiev, executive director of Bulgartransgaz, said on Bulgarian National Radio. Bulgartransgaz controls gas supplies in Bulgaria.

Semerdzhiev said supplies would resume in two to three days after repairs.

In Moscow, Gazprom said 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”.

“The gas poses no danger to people, but until the problem is fixed no fuel will run to Greece,” Blagoevgrad Fire Department said, according to AFP.

Bulgargaz said it supplied about 2.9 billion cu m of Russian gas to Greece through Bulgaria in 2006.