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Austria gas plant burns after deadly explosion
A big explosion has rocked a key natural gas facility in eastern Austria, killing one person and injuring at least 18, police say.
A fire followed the blast at the Baumgarten site, which happened around 08:45 (07:45 GMT). The plant lies just east of Vienna, near the Slovak border.
On Twitter Austrian police said the situation was under control and a technical fault had caused the blast.
One unconfirmed report spoke of 60 hurt. Emergency teams are at the scene.
Baumgarten is a major hub for imported Russian gas, which is sent on to a number of European countries. The facility receives about 40bn cubic metres of gas per
"The installation has been brought under control and operations have been suspended there," said Armin Teichert, spokesman for the operator, Austria's Gas Connect service.
Police have cordoned off the area. Some victims suffering burns have been airlifted out by helicopter, Austrian ORF news reports.
"I heard a huge explosion and thought at first it was a plane crash," photographer Thomas Hulik, who lives in a nearby village in Slovakia, told the AFP news agency.
"Then I saw an immense ball of flame."
Gas Connect said the incident should have no effect on gas deliveries to Austria but those to Italy and Croatia might be reduced.
Meanwhile, Russia's Gazprom Export said it was working to redirect gas flows.
It said it was "doing everything possible to secure uninterrupted gas supplies" to customers in the region.
Deadly blast at Austrian gas plant
A big explosion has rocked a key natural gas facility in eastern Austria, killing one person and injuring at least 18, police say.
A fire followed the blast at the Baumgarten site, which happened around 08:45 (07:45 GMT). The plant lies just east of Vienna, near the Slovak border.
On Twitter Austrian police said the situation was under control and a technical fault had caused the blast.
One unconfirmed report spoke of 60 hurt. Emergency teams are at the scene.
Baumgarten is a major hub for imported Russian gas, which is sent on to a number of European countries. The facility receives about 40bn cubic metres of gas per
"The installation has been brought under control and operations have been suspended there," said Armin Teichert, spokesman for the operator, Austria's Gas Connect service.
Police have cordoned off the area. Some victims suffering burns have been airlifted out by helicopter, Austrian ORF news reports.
"I heard a huge explosion and thought at first it was a plane crash," photographer Thomas Hulik, who lives in a nearby village in Slovakia, told the AFP news agency.
"Then I saw an immense ball of flame."
Gas Connect said the incident should have no effect on gas deliveries to Austria but those to Italy and Croatia might be reduced.
Meanwhile, Russia's Gazprom Export said it was working to redirect gas flows.
It said it was "doing everything possible to secure uninterrupted gas supplies" to customers in the region.
Deadly blast at Austrian gas plant