Major Gas Pipeline Explosion in Syria Shuts Down Three Key Power Plants

The Syrian civil war has significantly reduced the country's power production [File: Ed Ram/Getty Images]. A gas pipeline explosion in Syria has knocked three power plants offline and triggered a large fire, as reported by the state-run news agency SANA.

On Wednesday, the Syrian Electricity Company announced that the Deir Ali, al-Nasiriyah and Tishreen power plants were forced out of service due to insufficient gas supplies following the blast in Eastern Ghouta, located in the Damascus countryside.

While the fire continues to burn, authorities have not yet determined the cause of the explosion. Specialized teams from the Syrian Electricity Company are actively working to address the situation, though officials warned that the triple shutdown will worsen power rationing due to severely depleted electricity supplies.

This latest incident follows two prior explosions that hit Syria's gas network over the preceding six weeks. According to the Syrian Petroleum Company, both earlier incidents were acts of sabotage, although no group has claimed responsibility for any of the blasts.

Amid these energy shortages, citizens have voiced frustration over rising energy costs, prompting protests across the country two weeks prior. The government had previously raised diesel prices by up to 40 percent and petrol prices by 28 percent, attributing the hikes to temporary surges in global energy costs.