Cause still unclear

High-pressure gas pipe bursts with a loud bang

The pressure wave tore out small trees and bushes

(Bild: DOKU NÖ)

Major alarm in the Mostviertel (Lower Austria): A section of the West1 high-pressure gas pipeline burst near Haag in the early hours of the morning. 3500 households are currently without a supply and work is underway to repair the damage. The cause is still completely unclear.

According to witnesses, a loud bang was suddenly heard at dawn. "A strange noise woke us up in the early hours of the morning," said Haag's mayor Lukas Michlmayr. Small trees, branches and bushes had been flung away by a pressure wave, he added. The alarm was raised immediately and the fire departments from Haag, Haindorf, Pinnersdorf and Amstetten were deployed immediately.

Houses evacuated
As could be ascertained on site, a high-pressure gas pipe had apparently burst for as yet unexplained reasons. The gas supply was quickly stopped. Two houses in the immediate vicinity of the accident site were evacuated by the emergency services after the smell of gas was detected. After taking measurements, however, the all-clear was given.

Emergency services inspect the damage.

(Bild: DOKU NÖ)

Search for the cause
Netz NÖ technicians, representatives of the town of Haag, police and emergency services are on site. The fire department secures the danger zone. It is still completely unclear why the 60-year-old line, which is regularly inspected, was damaged. "We don't yet know whether it was damaged by roots or in the course of excavation work," says a spokesperson for Netz NÖ. The affected section over a length of around six meters has now been removed and examined in the laboratory. 

3500 households from Amstetten to the Upper Austrian border are currently without a gas supply. The repair of the damage will continue at least until Thursday evening. To make matters worse, water from a nearby stream has flowed into the pipeline as a result of the burst. 

Only local supply now
The West1 high-pressure gas pipeline was built in 1964 and runs for around 30 kilometers from Schmiedleiten to the Upper Austrian border. Since the construction of the Westschiene4 high-pressure gas pipeline in 1995, it has only been used for local supply.