"Asia-Centre" gas pipeline repaired in Volgograd Region

The Volgograd Region has completely eliminated the implications of the fire in the section of the "Asia-Centre" high-pressure main gas pipeline, they told on Monday to ITAR-TASS at the Chief Administration of the Emergency Ministry of the Region.

According to the operations officer on duty of the rescue regiment, "at 5 a.m. Moscow time, "Volgogradtransgaz" specialists completely restored gas supply in the fourth pipeline string, where at night of September 28 in the 438th kilometre a huge fire burst out as a result of an explosion."

During 4 days, the repairmen replaced over 100 running meters of 1250 mm pipe.

According to experts, the accident was of technogenic origin and was provoked by metal fatigue. Besides, the pipeline laid 1.5 meters deep in soil was affected by ground waters.

"Any deliberate blow-up is out of question," they told ITAR-TASS at the Regional Prosecutor' Office with a reference to the investigation of specialists from the FSB and Regional GUVD (Interior Chief Department).

Earlier, Chechen militants had declared themselves responsible for the blow-up of the gas pipeline in the Volgograd Region at night on September 28. An application published in one of separatists' web-site states that it was a start of full-scale activities of militants in the Volga region, and Russian power communications were treated as "permanent military targets."