OSLO, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Sweden’s coast guard said on Thursday it had discovered a fourth gas leak in the damaged Nord Stream pipeline earlier this week, after ruptures first reported on Monday sent gas into the sea baltic
The European Union suspects sabotage was behind leaks of Russian underwater pipelines to Europe and has vowed a “robust” response to any deliberate disruption of its energy infrastructure.
The leak reported Thursday is the second to be found in Swedish waters, while two others were discovered in Danish waters.
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Although neither pipeline was in use at the time of the suspected explosions, they were filled with gas that has been spewing and bubbling to the surface of the Baltic Sea since Monday.
“There are two emission sites in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone, the larger one over Nord Stream 1 and a smaller one over Nord Stream 2,” the coast guard said in a statement.
The distance between the two sites measured about 1.1 miles (1.8 km), he added.
Danish authorities have also reported a hole in each of two pipeline sections in their exclusive economic zone.
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Reporting by Terje Solsvik and Stine Jacobsen; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jan Harvey
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