Underwater images of ruptured Russia-Europe pipeline show extent of damage

At least 50 meters of gas pipeline appeared to be missing in Baltic Sea, Sweden-based Expressen newspaper reports

ISTANBUL:

A Swedish newspaper has published the first underwater images of the ruptured Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

Releasing the images, Expressen newspaper reported that at least 50 meters (164 feet) of the ruptured gas pipeline appeared to be missing in the Baltic Sea.

Working with the newspaper, Norway-based Blueye Robotics used a drone to film the twisted and bent metal of the pipeline 80 meters beneath the surface of the sea.

On September 26, there were leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines caused – as preliminary results of a Sweden-Denmark investigation showed – by a series of explosions believed to have been caused by intentional sabotage.

Also read: Nord Stream rupture may mark biggest single methane release ever recorded, UN says

The Nord Stream pipelines have two lines each, built to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea by the Russian state-owned gas company, Gazprom, which owns most of the infrastructure.

The leaks coincided with the opening of the Baltic Pipeline, delivering natural gas from the North Sea through Denmark to Poland.